The alternatives abound in a context marked by political uncertainty and an offer of flights that was reduced by half since mid -2024. Among the maromas made by service providers to survive is the closure of offices and move on to a virtual scheme or freelance, as well as create packages for more specific niches
Just three years ago that the Venezuelan economy stopped falling in a loud way. Almost eight years of contraction left in their path closure of companies, a reduced economy, less jobs and also a consumption that still does not recover at all. Along the way both people and companies have tried almost everything to continue. An example of this is the tourism sector that resorts to offers, payments in quotas, but also at the physical closure of their agencies to migrate to a virtual scheme or freelancer.
In Venezuela, a country that in recent years has been more marked by inequality, there are premium packages that can barely pay, but there are also the Full Days They are increasingly popular, with plans that include from hiking, the beach or options as specific as only trips for women. The alternatives abound in a context marked by political uncertainty and an offer of international flights that was reduced to half since mid -2024, for the rupture of diplomatic relations with countries such as Panama or the Dominican Republic.
On the other hand, despite the failures of public services, among them, the strong blackouts that whipped one of the country’s main destinations at the end of the year such as Nueva Esparta, the sector continues with promotions and ingenuity to provide him with to users varied tourist packages. The president of the Venezuelan Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (Avavit), Vicky Herrera, comments to SuchWhich That the sale on credit in this sector is an alternative that has been expanding, above all, for destinations such as: Mérida, Los Roques and Margarita, in addition, it indicates that for some time this has been Evolving and applications have been joined that allows them to provide these modalities easily.
Among the options for Margarita some travel agencies have prices ranging from $ 411 per person for five days and four nights, with air ticket, food and lodging. While for the Roques, four days and three nights, it can have a value of $ 411 per person, with lodging and food. Another of the tourist destinations that the majority cannot access is Canaima, here a package can cost $ 1,338 per person, for four days and three nights, with air ticket, land transfers, lodging, food and walks.
After six months of the presidential elections, which led to a political crisis in the country and that reduced international air connectivity in half, the president of Avavit explains that the suspended destinations have not yet been recovered in August 2024. “We have worked on the possibility of resuming the destinations that we have and maintaining a request to open new destinations and new frequencies on the routes we have, we already have a new frequency with goal in Brazil, which we did not have before and there is the possibility with Qatar, ”he says.
The spokeswoman explains that in January the sales of tickets were driven by promotions in some destinations and qualifies “good” sales, but not “excellent.”
On the other hand, he comments that destinations such as Madrid (Spain) have some offers aimed at marketing tickets for the remainder of the year, which allows customers to acquire a passage at this time at a better price, also remember that while the ticket It is purchased more anticipated to the travel date, the cost can be much lower.
During the presentation of the memory and has on January 15 Nicolás Maduro informed that the tourism sector and international visits grew 94% During 2024. He also pointed out that the economy grew more than 9%, however, the data is not yet available on the Central Bank of Venezuela and most local economic firms record a growth of 4.5%.
Nicola Furnari, president of the Northern Latin American Area Committee of the Skål International, an organization that promotes global tourism, is more optimistic for the Holy Week season than for Carnival.
“Our main expectation focuses on Holy Week, which historically has been a period of greater tourist movement in the country. In addition, many national destinations offer payment facilities in installments or fractional, allowing passengers to better program their trips, ”he says.
FURNARI also adds that the situation of the country and uncertainty about what will happen in April and May can affect tourism demand. However, he adds that this could also lead suppliers to offer interesting offers, which could attract more travelers. “Although the Carnival season could be moderate, we believe that Holy Week and the school holiday season could be more moved. The most wanted national and international destinations are still attractive For Venezuelan travelers. ”
To be headquarters to be virtual and Freelance
Among the maromas made by travel agents to survive is to close their old venues to move on to virtuality or rent in smaller spaces to reduce rental costs. A situation that has also been promoted by the increase in services and taxes. Although Avavit does not handle statistics on the subject, they do mention that there are many that have passed to a scheme Freelance or under the figure of independent professionals.
Ricardo* made the decision to close his office after 13 years, because he could no longer with the rental increases that arrived every six months. “Many people have done that. They have left the premises and have installed their agencies in their homes ”says a SuchWhich. One of the advantages is that the work they play can do so from anywhere, all they need is the Internet. For him this decision allows him to save some money, because sales are not at his best.
But the rent was not Ricardo’s only headache, because he indicates that in recent years he has been very affected by taxes. “Lately we are seeing ourselves very beaten by government institutions, the mayorships, for the amount of taxes that are not putting for anything. There are also more and more visits from Seniat, Inatur. One provides a percentage of sales. To travel agencies, inns, hotels, airlines, they charge us 1% of your gross income, but I don’t know where that will stop, ”he asks.
Ricardo points out that it is not only Or because the duration of the registration was overcome, any procedure may imply an absurd amount of money for formal companies.
The travel agent remembers that years ago they made great events to boost the sector or helped people who wanted to open some tourist activity, especially the inns. “You had an old house on the shore of the beach and they (state) helped you to remodel it and you could open your inn, but you have not seen any of that, there is only a constant control, if you are wrong to pay One day, then they are fine. ”
The president of Avavit, Vicky Herrera, explains that it is a reality that many agencies go to virtuality or become part of the scheme freelancer or independent groups, because there are no supply to keep costs from the fiscal and tax point of view.
“There are some conversations with the public sector about these concerns and some incentives probably come so that we can obtain some facilities that allow us to stay,” he says.
“I would say that they are quite a few, You get with agencies that are closing because they become independent professionalsbut you also get others that are opening. It is a constant dynamic that makes this closing mobilization and openings, but certainly there are many that have been closing, ”he acknowledges.
The dynamic also mutates in the same sector. For example, Ricardo explains that his efforts are now placed on selling more tickets abroad and not so much in tour packages, because he notes that people start preferring rent apartments or vacation houses for a complete family before hotels. In addition, he adds that people who have apartments in places where there are beaches or swimming pools have chosen to rent them.
“For a family of four people it is more feasible to go to an equipped apartment, that has kitchen, rooms, bathroom, in a building where there are swimming pools or beaches before going to hotels. It is no longer like before one sold a package, that has also lowered a lot, ”says Ricardo.
Another issue that also worries in the sector is that more and more airlines sell their passages directly on their web pages. “For them, the most important thing is to promote their product and the first thing they put is to request the information through the page, through a WhatsApp and in the end it is that they put -couns with your travel agency of preference or something – ”Says the seller. However, it indicates that the advantage they have is that when a person buys him from a travel agency you have the guarantee that if something happens the agency can solve it unlike the airlines where the client cannot speak with a person, but to through a chatbot when there is an inconvenience.
Travel options only for women
The alternatives to travel can become very diverse, this is the bet of expanding Jevitas, which was born in 2023 after the desire of two friends to travel with other women. After a year they have managed to win a community that believes in the project and that found on these trips a safe and different place for all women.
Isa Tovar, one of her founders, says she always wanted to do something where she could connect with other women. «In 2023 my friend Abigail and I were going through very difficult situations, she had problems with her work, she wanted to do new things and I had a very significant break, I canceled my wedding and it was a time when we both said what do we do? Then Jevitas was born from resilience, the desire to do good things and the desire to connect with other women ».
The initiative is present in Venezuela in the cities of Caracas, Maracay and Valencia, while outside; In Buenos Aires, Bogotá and soon in Madrid. Not only do they plan trips to the beaches or the Tovar neighborhood, they also have events, they have a sports club and a reading club. There is no age limit, trips are designed for women 18 years and older.
Nina Montilla, Jevitas Caracas coordinator, says they are plans where you can make friends. “At this time of the world having a women’s support network is supremely important. And Venezuela has many places to meet, traveling alone can be very risky, right? That is a reality, but if we manage to make a club we can do internal tourism without the need to feel at risk and that we are afraid to travel alone, that is like Jevitas’s vision. ”
*Journalism in Venezuela is exercised in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments arranged for the punishment of the word, especially the laws “against hatred”, “against fascism” and “against blockade.” This content is being published taking into account the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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