Launch of Touristic Environmental Project in “La Tigra” National Park
The initiative seeks to improve the tourism management model of the well-known park, with the execution of infrastructure works that allow to count on a circuit of environmental-tourist interest for the national and international community.
The Kingdom of Spain and the Government of Honduras launched the project "Strengthening of Tourist Infrastructure at Parque Nacional La Tigra", which seeks to improve the model of tourism management of the well-known park, with the execution of works of infrastructure for a circuit of touristic-environmental interest for the national and international community.
Precisely this morning the ambitious plan was discussed and will be financed with funds from the Debt Conversion Program of Honduras to Spain, with an investment of 9.4 million Lempiras, and will be implemented through three components:
1.- Improve tourism infrastructure and recreational facilities of the park to facilitate accessibility and comfort, specifically focused on the construction and equipment of 800 meters of canopy;
2.- Improvement of institutional capacities for the protection of the park and management of eco-tourism, and
3.- Provide recreational value to existing resources to develop a sustainable plan for public use and involve greater use of the local population in the provision of Eco touristic services.
The program provides direct benefit to 240 people who will participate in training and community workshops; 38 technicians and resource rangers will be trained in the field of GPS, GIS and navigation; 15 tour guides will be trained in English language; and 10 tour guides will be trained in canopy. In addition, the communities that are within the core PNLT area, i.e. 1,612 inhabitants, and approximately 18,000 people who annually visit the Park will be benefited
The "La Tigra" National Park is located in the department of Francisco Morazán, in the center of the country northwest of Tegucigalpa, the total area of the park is 24,040 hectares, of which 7,571 belong to the core area and 16,469 belong to the buffer zone. These lands are located within municipalities of the Central District; Valle de Angeles, Santa Lucia and San Juan de Flores.
The communities that make up the area of influence of the project are within the core area of the PNLT; Montaña Grande, La Cantadora, Planes de Durazno, Nueva Rosario, Guacamayas y Liquidámbar. In this area, approximateley 1,612 inhabitants live, of whom 40% depend on agriculture as the main source of economic survival.
The Ambassador of Spain, Miguel Alberto Suárez; the Commercial Attaché of the Embassy of Spain, Kings Sallent; the Executive Vice President of CABEI, Mr. Alejandro Rodríguez Zamora; the Director General of Public Credit at the Finance Secretariat, Dr. Sammy Castro; the Chairman of the Board of Directors of AMITIGRA Foundation, Juan Ferrera; the Mayor of the Central District, Engineer, Nasry Asfura; the representative of the beneficiaries of the project, Gustavo Godoy; and the representative of the INYPSA-TRAGSATEC Consortium, Monserrat Calvin led the inauguration ceremony for the project.
