Seeking to draw more visitors from the US, the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute has kicked off a $3 million marketing campaign.
The campaign by the governmental tourism body, also known as INTUR, includes revamping the NicaraguanTourism.us website, and running digital ads ShermansTravel, TripAdvisor and The New York Times.
For example, one of the banner ads implores, “Visit the land of lakes and volcanoes…Experience Nicaragua… Discover Nicaragua for just $759.”
When you click on the banner ads, some of which use Flash, you navigate to the NicaraguanTourism.us homepage.
Here are some additional ads:
The website, which features packages to Nicaragua, has been redesigned and Regatta Travel Solutions will power the site’s hotel booking engine, slated to go live at the beginning of April.
Ashwin Kamlani, president of Regatta Travel Solutions, says the booking engine will begin “with a handful of hotels and then it will grow from there.”
“The potential of this project is just phenomenal,” Kamlani adds. “Nicaragua has experienced healthy growth in US travelers and the timing is perfect to use the Internet to foster that growth. We look forward to working why INTUR and to make it a huge success.”
Regatta Travel Solutions also powers hotel booking engines for the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Board, St. Lucia Hotel Association & Tourism Board, Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association, Grenada Board of Tourism, Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association, and the Antigua Hotels & Tourist Association.
Nicaragua attracted more than 1 million tourists in 2011, about a 2.8% jump over the previous year.
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I’m glad that they picked a well recognized travel agency. Hopefully INTUR will also reflect the great beauty of N. Nicaragua, the land of volcano’s but also they great beaches on the Pacific Ocean only 13 miles west of the colonial capital of Leon. Las Penitas and the Playa Roca Beach Hotel sponsored the 1st N. Nicaragua International Surfing Competition several years ago and nobody had ever heard of the beaches outside of the southern regions, and were amazed on how unknown and fantastic they were.
David,
We were at your hotel in February, remember us, Henry and I we were the young/older couple looking for a retirement community from Calif. and driving a rebuilt VW van? You were right in saying that your little piece of paradise (Playa Roca Beach Hotel) is not very well known because the promotion for Nicaragua centers around the more glamorous spots of Granada and San Juan del Sur. I would put your place up against any of them for the sheer beauty and incredible location right on the beach and the weather was perfect. Don’t worry about not being a 4-5 star hotel, being inexpensive and have all the right “goodies” is what people want. I hope this promotion I just read about gives you some of the traffic, it is the best place of all that I visited in our Central American travels.
Lonnie O
After coming from Costa Rica (lovely country but getting $) I arrived in San Juan del Sur and I thought I was back in Costa Rica. I was on my way to Guatemala and arrived at the most lovely spot on the coast after spending a historic day visiting all the churches in Leon. With volcanic rocks in front of the hotel we climbed up on them with the ocean on all three sides and witnessed the greatest sunsets I’ve ever seen. Please mention the Wilderness natural reserve in Las Penitas of Juan Venado Island where we saw crocodiles and multitudes of birds nesting. We boogied boarded in a safe little bay in front of Playa Roca Hotel where we didn’t have a crowd to fight for waves.
These banner ads are very well done and the booking engine is needed. Good job.
We are a small marketing and promotional agency looking to open an office in Nicaragua. We see Nicaragua as the next hot spot north of Costa Rica. Costa Rica prices are higher than New York, Los Angeles and Spain… Incredible. Nicaragua here we come! (soon)