The tourist destination is open to visitors, given that the areas not affected by the fire of March 8 are operating and offer various services and activities so they expect the influx of tourists to continue.
According to Conred the fire, it damages eight homes, 14 shops and 4 four hotels.
From about 15 blocks that make up the area of tourism services such as hotels, lodging establishments, vacation houses, and shops, about six blocks were affected by the fire.
Among the affected hotels, there are some of the largest located in the place, some were almost completely damaged, that is, the rooms and bunalos, as well as other areas, and others register damage to the restaurant, cited Edna Vásquez, fourth councilor of the Municipality of Sipacate, who is a native of that community and is supporting recovery activities.
Restaurants were also affected, as well as local dining rooms that people from the community have installed in homes, and a surf school that had a restaurant, he added.
According to Vásquez, there were 14 affected shops, and within them eight families. Conred estimates that each one is composed of 7 members, which were left without their business that generates income for their livelihood.
Recovery phases
On the day of the community, the community, entrepreneurs of the place and surrounding municipalities, as well as relief bodies and army personnel supported to turn it off.
- And, on Sunday the phase one began, it consisted of cleaning the area, as well as the descombrament, where apart from these people and organizations are supporting foreign and national tourists who stayed in the place.
- As of Monday 10, the deepest cleaning phase began and the demolition of damaged structures that cannot be recovered.
- The third phase will be the reconstruction to rehabilitate the operations and businesses that were destroyed.
There is a hotel where the restaurant area was demolished, while the homes that had locals were completely demolished.
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For reconstruction there is a group of foreigners who are collecting help internationally, he added.
Also the community of El Paredón and surrounding areas are supporting with food for volunteers, it also supports food for affected families, he added.
The official, estimates that not all damaged facilities may be fully recovered for Holy Week.
However, both Vásquez, and entrepreneurs of the place, call to continue visiting the destination in the areas where there was no damage to tourist services, which indicate, will help maintain income, jobs and economic dynamism and to reactivate the affected areas soon.
“Some hotels that have insurance are going to collect it, others can still partially operate on what they have, however, if you will impact the economy of business with damage and affected families,” he added.
Recovery time
Conred indicated that emergency day was the necessary assistance to control and liquidate the fire, and humanitarian aid was transferred to those affected and now, the Conred system is planning the recovery phase.
A group of hotel entrepreneurs on the wall, indicated that, from the day following the fire, with equipment work and support from the entire community, the affected area was completely cleaned. This to start preparing the area for revitalization and reconstruction.
Now, they said, they have the support of funds from the private initiative and a government management headed by the director of the Inguat, Harris Whitbeck to be able to involve the state agencies.
In addition, “the El Paredón Hotels Association by businesses and neighbors have been advised with municipal and volunteer firefighters to develop a pressure pump system pressure with special hoses for fire mitigation”, in addition all hotels have already proceeded to buy their water and accessories pumps that will allow using any water source such as pool or well as a motobomba to turn off fires, the businessmen added.
You also work to manage with the authorities a fire station and a health center.
The rest of hotels, lodging services and businesses are operating, and in the week a team of Camarographers and marketing of the Inguat arrived to be able to communicate that the wall continues to work and ready to receive national and international tourism, businessmen said.
The Inguat replied that it has established approaches with the hotel sector and tourist businessmen of El Paredón to work in a recovery plan for the affected area, since the situation is recent, the strategies and actions to be implemented are still being defined, with the aim of jointly promoting the revitalization of this important tourist destination.