B.T.I.A. Looks at Competitive Advantage Upon Reopening of P.G.I.A.

John Burgos

With the resumption of daily flights from the P.G.I.A., tourism stakeholders are looking at ways in which the local industry can benefit from the advantage of a lower cost structure.  A number of small hotels have been brutally affected and have to close permanently. The competition, says Burgos, is coming from Mexico, Guatemala and other destinations within the region.

John Burgos, Executive Director, B.T.I.A.

“We have to start to think competitive advantage.  We’re competing with Mexico, Mexico never did close their Cancun airport.  Guatemala opened their airport on September eighteenth, so, you know, the wheels of motion have started and we need to keep up with that and we need to make ourselves as accessible as possible and with the right strategies and protocols in place and that’s basically what we want the prime minister and the National Oversight Committee to really understand and evaluate.  They’re limiting restaurants to only ten persons to be able to sit down.  What data supports that?  Who will that benefit?  Majority of the restaurants are not designed for takeout, they are designed to have people come in, sit down and so on.  So it puts at a disadvantage the larger restaurants, the larger properties that are able to accommodate let’s say fifty people, you know, with proper social distancing protocols in place, all the sanitizing and so on in place.  Now you are telling me that instead of having fifty, you can only do ten persons and you, know, that cuts down your profit.  If you can make a hundred dollars, you’re only going to make ten now because the government says so.”