For The “long weekend” or long rest, From Saturday 28 to Monday, June 30, about 650 thousand visits to tourist sites in Guatemala are estimated.
This year, on June 28 and 29 they fall on the weekend and this is added the holiday of June 30 for Army Day, which represents an opportunity to do tourism.
By 2025, 650 thousand visits to tourist destinations are planned during those three days, mainly of national travelers or local tourism, said José María Aguilar, head of the market research and analysis of the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (Inguat).
This activity will generate an economic spill of around Q403 million.
The economic spill will be distributed in activities such as lodging, restaurants and other food and drinking services, transport and fuel, several tourist services, entertainment activities, among others.
In both items a 5% growth is estimated compared to the behavior of the same season in 2024, it was added.
Last year it was estimated that 616 thousand 593 people traveled for tourism reasons at that time, Aguilar said.
The five most visited destinations
Among the most busy destinations for this season, Guatemala is expected, first, followed by Retalhuleu, Atitlán, Quetzaltenango and the Pacific beaches.
These together concentrate more than 85% of the volume of visits.
Aguilar explained that, for the moment, Inguat measurement does not include the entire medium -year -old school vacation season.
Although tourism trips are generated in those days, it should be taken into account that students are on vacation, but most parents do not, so the greatest influx continues to register on weekends, especially the long weekend for the holiday of June 30.
That holiday moves to Monday in accordance with Decree 42-2010 and its reforms contained in Decree 19-2018. This year, the date coincides with the day, so it should not move.
Although the most visited places continue to be those mentioned by the Inguat, Rolando Schweikert, president of the Guatemalan Chamber of Tourism (Camtur), explained that national travelers have diversified destinations, many of them motivated by the promotion of tourist sites on social networks.
He commented, for example, that various tourist places have become viral in Tiktok and the offer has been expanded, so both hoteliers and tourism operators receive requests for information on destinations such as Petén, Las Verapaces, departments of the East, others from the West, Cobán and Río Dulce.
The president of Camur recommended those interested in traveling to the destinations seen in social networks that also verify information about the state of the place and their access. In addition, he suggested consulting with the Inguat if the site is safe for tourist visits, how the road is, if it is suitable for tourism, the services available, how far the transport comes, how much you must walk to arrive, if there is lodging and if the operators are registered.
In the IRTRA parks and hotelsin Retalhuleu, the arrival of around 100,000 visitors is estimated at the period of one month, from June 15 to July 15.
Jorge Mario Chajón, an advisor to the IRTRA presidency, said optimism for this season, since it coincides with the mid -year school holidays, the holiday of June 30, the banking holiday on July 1 and the anniversary of the Xetulul theme park, which generates greater influx.
Therefore, he said, they are organizing activities and concerts to encourage visits.
Asked about possible cancellations due to the conditions of the Cito-Zarco road section, Chajón explained that they have not experienced reservation cancellations in the IRTRA hostels and hotels. The majority of visitors are families traveling in private vehicles, and light units have had ease to travel.
2024 was a very good year for tourism and, during the aforementioned season, visits to the IRTRA parks in Retalhuleu grew 21%. It is expected that in 2025 the positive trend will continue, although at a lower rate, estimated at 5%.
Chajón said that deceleration is not due to road conditions, but to the behavior of the rainy season in Retalhuleu.
With a better winter and better road conditions, we could grow more, he said, commenting that the problems of the road network have been persisting for several years.