Tourism Development and Regional Integration in Central America

What is the relationship between tourism and regional integration in Central America?

Since the signing of the Peace Accords, tourism has emerged as a primary development strategy for Central American countries. At the same time, tourism has become a driving force for the regional political-economic integration project, facilitating consensus between governments over the regional developmental model. This ARI outlines the contours of the dual processes of regional integration and tourism development in contemporary Central America. It argues that a convergence of development priorities across the region around export-oriented growth and commitments to poverty reduction has placed tourism as a driver of the regional integration project.