Browse Honduras Daily Stories

Honduras's October 2–11 Morazán holiday brought 1.6 million travelers nationwide and generated L769 million (about $31 million) in economic activity, with overnight stays at tourist destinations up 43 percent, Tourism Minister Andrés Ehrler reported.

Honduras's Morazán Week holiday began with lower-than-expected passenger traffic at major bus terminals, though authorities project over 500,000 travelers will move throughout the week, generating roughly L600 million ($24 million) for transport, hotels, and tourism-linked businesses.

Authorities across the Bay Islands announced a coordinated security and prevention operation for an expected 200,000 visitors during the coming high-season week, with checkpoints and personnel deployed across Roatán, Santos Guardiola, Guanaja, and Utila.

Tourism officials in the Bay Islands are promoting Roatán, Guanaja, and Utila for the upcoming Morazán Week holiday, while also addressing sargassum accumulation on beaches with a planned cleanup on Sunday.

A national security and emergency operation will run October 2–12 as Honduras's Morazán Week holiday draws an estimated 500,000 travelers; multiple agencies will staff checkpoints on highways, beaches, and tourist sites.

WestJet and its vacation subsidiary Sunwing will continue serving Roatán during the 2026–27 winter season, with seasonal flights from Toronto and Quebec City starting in November and December.

Tourism Minister Andrés Ehrler said visitor arrivals grew over 18% in the first half of 2026, projecting year-end tourism revenue of $820–840 million, up from $780 million in 2025, with the sector supporting over 300,000 direct jobs.

The Honduran Institute of Land Transport (IHTT) is working with Roatán tourism operators to regularize minivans and buses already serving tourists and to explore legal frameworks for formal concessions—not to immediately legalize four-door cars as taxis, transport leaders say.

Tourism officials project that Honduras's Morazán Week holiday (October 7–10) will attract around 500,000 domestic travelers and generate roughly L600 million (about $24 million) in economic activity across hotels, restaurants, transport, and tour operators.

Air Canada will launch twice-weekly nonstop service from Montreal and Toronto to Roatán beginning in December 2026 using Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, expanding capacity for Canadian travelers to Honduras's Caribbean island.

Roatán's mayor's office denied involvement in reports of a L5,000–L5,800 charge on tourist transport operators, saying the Honduran Land Transport Institute (IHTT) called the meeting; an IHTT official clarified the charge is a L2,800 (about $112) permit fee for drivers to legalize licenses.

The Kimpton Grand Roatán Resort & Spa in West Bay has received a Michelin Key, a prestigious international honor awarded to exceptional hotels, marking another international recognition for Honduras's luxury hospitality sector.

The Honduran Institute of Land Transport will issue a temporary special permit costing 2,800 lempiras (about $112) to unlicensed tour transport operators in Roatán, allowing them to keep working while they complete the administrative steps required to legalize their vehicles.

Tourism operator Marco Galindo estimates Roatán's visitor numbers have doubled in 2026, driven by more flights and yacht traffic, but says waste management and urban infrastructure must improve to sustain growth.

Honduras and Japan have agreed to build a new visitor center at the Copán archaeological park for approximately 17.5 million lempiras (about $700,000), with a one-year timeline, to streamline tourist entry and provide modern ticketing and orientation services.

Chepes Beach on Utila has been selected for Corona Beach 100 – World's Best Beaches 2026, an international ranking that positions Honduras's Bay Islands among the world's premier destinations and highlights its marine ecosystems and natural attractions.

The Honduran Institute of Tourism and Tomalá municipality are partnering to upgrade El Cerrito, a scenic overlook in the Lempira municipality, with new trails, a second elevated level, perimeter walls, lighting, cultural murals, and a café to boost local tourism and economic opportunity.

Tegucigalpa will hold the second edition of TRESOrígenes on September 12, a free cultural event celebrating the identities of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala through music, food, and local entrepreneurship at Plaza del Monumento de La Paz.

Tourism Minister Andrés Ehrler held talks in the Dominican Republic with investors and airline representatives, including Grupo Barceló (which has no direct investments in Honduras) and Arajet, to promote tourism projects and expand air connectivity to position Honduras as a Caribbean hub.

Roatán's municipality is rolling out a structured training and certification program called Anfitriones del Destino (Destination Hosts) for tourism workers, including beach massage providers, to raise service standards and professionalize the sector.

Honduras's tourism board will represent the Bay Islands at DEMA Show, a major international diving and water-sports trade fair held November 3–6 in New Orleans, to promote the islands' diving industry and connect with global operators.

More than 15,500 Salvadorans entered Honduras during the August holiday week, a 31% increase over the same period last year, generating approximately $1.2 million in foreign exchange for the country, according to Tourism Minister Andrés Ehrler.

Danlí inaugurated FESTIMA 2026 on August 11, the 47th edition of its International Corn Festival celebrating the city's agricultural heritage and cultural identity with pageants, traditional crafts, corn-based cuisine, sports, and performances.

Margaritaville Island Reserve Resort Roatán, backed by a $330 million investment, is advancing with government support and is projected to create more than 1,500 jobs across construction and permanent operations.

Tela's municipality presented plans for a 1.5-kilometer linear park along a defunct canal, a tourism pier for boats and yachts, and a bike path to improve public spaces and marine-based tourism, though projects remain in design phase pending permits and financing.

The Honduran Tourism Institute is investing L8.25 million (about $330,000) in Santa Rosa de Copán to construct a glass viewpoint in La Honduras sector and a bird-watching tower at El Cerrito, converting former dumpsites into family recreation and tourism spaces.

Business leaders in Copán Ruinas submitted a five-year tourism agenda to the government on August 5 that outlines infrastructure, workforce training, and border-crossing improvements to boost the region's competitiveness and economic activity around the Maya archaeological park.

Honduras's Cacao Ecotourism Route (RETCACAOH) connects family-run cacao farms, natural reserves, and tourism parks across the country where visitors can learn chocolate production from harvest to finished product, with the government and farmers aiming to diversify rural incomes through sustainable agritourism.

Roatán's municipal tourism office held a second training session for over 60 street vendors and tour operators in customer service, environmental practices, and visitor engagement as part of its Destination Hosts Program.

Roatán's Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport is undergoing renovation work ahead of the November–April high season, with temporary restrictions on some areas to allow construction to proceed uninterrupted.