23 Jul / 2004

As the people of El Salvador prepare for their annual Fiestas Agostinas holiday, those planning on visiting Honduras - and especially the Caribbean Coast - number in the thousands.

In order to facilitate their visit, Salvadorans traveling to Honduras between July 31 and August 9 will enjoy quicker and easier service at the country’s border crossings. During that period, customs officials will stamp their travel documents with a single stamp, which will remain valid for a period of 30 days and facilitate entry and exit into and out of Honduras. Likewise, procedures for leaving the country will require a single stamp as well. The program will be in operation at the overland customs crossings at El Amatillo, Valle and El Poy, Ocotepeque. Salvadoran tourists may enter Honduras with either a passport or a national ID card.

Meanwhile, the National Preventative Police Force, through its Tourism Police Traffic Squads, are preparing a plan to guarantee the security of visitors before, during and after their visits. The plan will include numerous observational and informative highway checkpoints throughout the country as well as heightened security in key tourism areas.
According to studies, most of these visitors are expected to travel to the Bay Islands, primarily Utila and Roatan, where hotels are at full occupancy. Hotel owners in Tela and La Ceiba expect occupancy rates between 70 and 80 percent.