ROATÁN, HONDURAS

TOURISM
REPORT
ROATÁN, HONDURAS
CREATED BY: TARYN CRUZ
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Contents
Introduction_______________________________________________________________________________________________1
Transportation_____________________________________________________________________________________________3
Accommodations__________________________________________________________________________________________4
Food & Beverage___________________________________________________________________________________________5
Recreation & Entertainment______________________________________________________________________________7
Itinerary____________________________________________________________________________________________________8
SWOT Analysis of Tourism in Your Location____________________________________________________________9

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Introduction
LOCATION
Roatan is part of a cluster of islands situated to the
northern coast of Honduras. These islands are a gem in
the western Caribbean, and they are surrounded by the
largest barrier reef system in the northern hemisphere.
The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is only second in size to
Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

HISTORY

In its beginnings this island was inhabited by the Mayas, then by the Payas, in the 16th
century came the Spanish conquerors who brought African slaves as part of the crew.
Later the island was invaded by the English, that governed them until 1861, when the
government of Honduras and the government of the United Kingdom signed a treaty to
return the Bay Islands to Honduras for being in its territorial waters.

English settlers brought the black Caribs (Garífunas) from Saint Vincent Island in 1770,
white islanders arrived from Grand Cayman and European countries such as Ireland,
Denmark, Italy and other countries. The spoken language in Roatan, once occupied by the
United Kingdom was English but after the return to Honduras, the only official language
was Spanish again, although they are bilingual. The New York Times honored Roatan with
the 30th place of the 53 places to visit worldwide.

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WEATHER

Roatá n has a pleasant tropical climate with maritime influence. In recent years, the
average annual precipitation has been 1343.68 mm (min: 396.40 mm, max: 2117.80 mm),
with an average temperature of 28.14 ° C (min: 20.86 ° C, max: 32.70 ° C). Main months for
precipitation are October, November, and December, respectively; while the driest months
are April and May, respectively. The highest temperatures occur in September, August, and
June, while the lowest temperatures occur in January, December, and February.
Hurricanes are rare, one can happen every ten years, which are actually not harmful, as
the island is surrounded by water, and the water that falls on the island immediately
returns to the ocean.

TOURISM

Tourism is the most important economic input for Roatan and the Bay Islands of
Honduras. Tourism activity has boomed in recent years. An estimated there was an
arrival of 1.6 million tourists visit Roatan each year. That number is only increasing from
one year to the next. According to the Honduran Institute of Tourism, 46.3% of those
tourists come from Central America, 39.4% from the United States, 10.1% from Europe
and 4.2% from the rest of the world. These visitors arrive in either Mahogany Bay, or
they port in Coxen Hole's Cruise Port.
Roatan is a popular destination for tourists who want to do various types of activities
related to the sea, among which the most common is diving. It has an international
airport, as well as a port that exports and imports products to and from Honduras. Roatan
is one of the areas with the most foreign tourism in Honduras. Moreover, it is a very
popular place in the world as many people from abroad come to spend their holidays and

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honeymoon, where they can enjoy its climate, coral reefs, crystal clear waters, “punta”
dancing, which is the dance of the Garifuna descendants of slaves from Africa.
The island can only be entered by yacht/ferry (Galaxy Wave) from La Ceiba or by plane. If
you are traveling from the United States, you can find direct flights from Miami or
Houston, or you can stop in the city of San Pedro Sula and take a trip to Roatan
International Airport (RTB) with national airlines such as CM Airlines Lanhsa, and Sosa.
As internal transportation you can find taxis, moto-taxis and buses.
On the other hand, it is important to mention that the official currency of Honduras is the
Lempira, but in Roatan, the most frequently used money is the United States dollar (USD).
It means, you can use both currencies to pay. Cryptocurrencies are also increasingly
accepted on Roatan.
Finally, in terms of Accommodation, Roatan has a wide variety of hotels as well as Airbnb
options, such as Fantasy Island and Mayan Princess Hotel, among others. And speaking
about the Food and Beverages sector, Roatan has too, numerous choices. All of the above
makes Roatan a perfect destination.

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