Mayan calendar and cruise ships boost Guatemala

Guatemala welcomed about 1.95 million tourists in 2012, an increase of 7 percent over the previous year, driven by the arrival of cruise ships and celebrations for the end of the era in the Mayan calendar, officials said.

“The recovery of the cruise season which began in September and ends in May, and the end of the Mayan cycle are the two main elements that generated the increase,” Pedro Duchez of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute, Inguat, said.

Inguat said more than half of the visitors came from Central and Southern Mexico, followed by the United States and Europe.


Source: Inforsurhoy