BTIA President Efrén Pérez Ratified for Second Term Atop Regional Tourism Federation

The Belize Tourism Industry Association’s president has been unanimously re-elected to lead one of Central America’s most prominent tourism bodies.

Efrén Pérez has been ratified by the Board of Directors of the Federation of Tourism Chambers of Central America and the Dominican Republic (FEDECATUR) for a second term as president of the regional organisation.

The ratification was made during the III Ibero-American Forum on Sustainable Tourism, Innovation, and Development, held in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, which brought together tourism industry leaders, government officials, international organisations, and private sector stakeholders from across Ibero-America.

FEDECATUR’s board credited Pérez’s first term with advancing the federation’s institutional strengthening and pushing a regional agenda centred on tourism integration, sustainability, and innovation.

“The ratification of this mandate represents a vote of confidence in the shared vision of a more connected, competitive, and integrated Central America and Dominican Republic,” Pérez said. “Our commitment remains focused on strengthening the voice of the private tourism sector and consolidating a strategic and constructive relationship with regional governments to drive economic development, job creation, and prosperity for our communities.”

For his second term, FEDECATUR has outlined an agenda that includes strengthening public-private sector dialogue, improving air and land connectivity across the region, reducing barriers to visitor mobility, and advancing sustainability as a core pillar of tourism policy. The federation also intends to deepen ties with international organisations and multilateral institutions.

FEDECATUR represents the organised private tourism sector across eight countries: Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.