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The Ruta Colonial y de los Volcanes launched

Róger Solórzano Canales | Nov 15, 2012

Principal officers during the conference. | Photographer: Róger Solórzano Canales

Infrastructure, human resource training and other items will be developed in the Pacific of Nicaragua.

The European Union, the representation of Luxembourg and the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR), jointly conducted the official launch of the Colonial Route and Volcano Route, a large development project that will include more than $ 9 million and will run in six departments along the Pacific coast of the country. The event took place on November 13th, in Managua, chaired by senior managers of each institution involved.

Mario Salinas, INTUR chief executive, welcomed the contributions of international donors involved and structuring this project together. He also stressed the importance of technical support and expertise offered by the Europeans-who "already traveled this road," he said, which favors to reduce errors and move more efficiently, that contribution is even more valuable than money, he said .

As explained in the introduction, the project will be implemented in the departments of Chinandega, Leon, Managua, Masaya, Granada and Rivas, in locations with great potential, in rural areas and reserves. The official general components are five:

1. Strengthen the framework of public-private tourism management.
2. Improving municipal planning systems and the local tourism infrastructure.
3. To support the quality of services through corporate training and human resource.
4. Access to business development services: finance, consulting.
5. Promotion and marketing of the route, its services and products.

Javier Sandomingo, head of the regional delegation of the European Union, said that they have found the increasing development of tourism in Nicaragua. For many European countries, the tourism sector has been very important to address situations of underdevelopment, he said, and hoped that in this country the same thing could happen with the state's commitment.

He emphasized the will of his organization to develop a project like this, regardless the economic crisis on their region. Essential elements of the project activities, as working primarily with small and medium enterprises, and to perform in various rural areas and protected areas, where there is also a significant presence of other agencies, make it very attractive and reliable for them, he said.

Project action map and official logo.

Translated by Cynthia Cordero