Managua, NIC, February 10, 2010

PRONicaragua, the official investment promotion agency of Nicaragua, and the Nicaraguan Tourism Board (INTUR, for its acronym in Spanish), participated successfully in this year's edition of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR, for its acronym in Spanish) in Madrid, Spain, by attracting not only tourists to Nicaragua's booth, but also showcasing Nicaragua's diverse investment opportunities.

The Nicaraguan delegation also met with potential Spanish investors to discuss business opportunities in the country's lodging sector. Laureano Ortega, representative of PRONicaragua, said that several investors expressed their interest in visiting Nicaragua during the next two months to assess the business climate and explore possible sites to develop hotel projects in the country.

Businessmen were particularly drawn to Nicaragua because of their interest in tourist destinations that resemble relaxation and adventure. "Visitors at the fair were inclined to visit sites such as the islets of Granada, Ometepe Island and San Juan del Sur, among others," commented Ortega.

During the event, important meetings were also held with institutions such as the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Spain's Tourism Department to discuss courses of action to promote and develop the Central American region as a tourism destination, as well as to explore possible initiatives in tourism to strengthen bilateral relations between Spain and Nicaragua in 2010.

FITUR is the second largest tourism fair in the world and every year gathers tourism promotion agencies, operators, hotels, travel agencies, consulting firms and experts in international tourism management and development from around the world.