La Moskitia of Nicaragua/Business potentual

[jo3ortaga]

I wrote this study on the Moskitia, the caribbean side of Nicaragua. It is pretty discriptive and a lot of Good information
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Mosquitia ENTERPRISES
by Jorge Giraldez-Benard

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
The project focus is centered on the development of tribal tourism enterprises for the Miskito Indians who inhabit the North East Coastal Region of Nicaragua and some of the inshore Cayos or Keys islands), in addition to one larger offshore island (Corn Island ).

DESCRIPTION OF REGION:
The coastal region which the Miskito Indians inhabit is a low-lying land area composed of some swamps, flood plains, grassy tropical Savannah’s, mangrove forests and hardwood or tropical pine forests further inland From the coastal beaches. There are extensive areas of undeveloped and uninhabited beaches along this coast. Many such beaches have sandy stretches backed by both coastal forests and palms. Other beaches have some mangrove forests. Further inland from the immediate coast there are a number of large and small lagoons which are fed by a number of rivers which flow from the western highlands in the interior of the country. A number of these coastal lagoons are connected by natural waterways. and a few by man-made channels. These allow some water craft travel North and South parallel to the coast with protection from the waves or winds of the open seas.

Most of the communities in this region are not located directly on the coastline, with the exception of the town of Puerto Cabezas. The majority of communities are located inland on coastal lagoons or inlets which are protected from the open seas. Other communities are located on a number of rivers either close to, or at some distance from the sea coast. Around the inlets and coastal lagoons there are some mangrove forests throughout the region. Access to the sea is possible From some of these lagoons from natural channels which are excavated and maintained by the flow of water from the rivers which feed these coastal lagoons.

NATURAL RENEWABLE RESOURCES OF THE REGION:
The rivers which rise in the central highlands of the country flow eastward through the tropical savannas which have coarse tropical grasses mixed with shrubs and scattered stands of native pine trees. In some areas there are more dense stands of these tropical pine forests. The soils in the grassy Savannah’s and the pine forest stands are very poor in terms of nutrients or mineral content and cannot sustain grazing livestock or any intensive agricultural crop cultivation. There are also stands of tropical jungle forests which are found in some areas of the region. These stands contain a mixed variety of species some of which are suitable for construction lumber or for furniture items of high quality utilizing native mahogany, tropical cedar, Lore etc. In part some of these resources were mentioned in the foregoing

(1)
Description of the Region
These resources include the soil which is not of high enough quality to sustain cattle pastures or any intensive agriculture on a scale to be of significant economic benefit to the region. What crop production that exists in the region is limited to a few small areas of alluvial soils or river bottom lands in certain parts of the region. Currently most of the produce which is consumed in the region is imported from other parts of the country. Beef, poultry and pork are among the food items which are also brought into the region for consumption.


(2)
INDUSTRIES & EMPLOYMENT IN THE REGION: There is some industry in forest products which does create some employment for a few residents of the region with the extraction of timber and some milling prior to export. Currently there is very limited manufacture of finished products for export of furniture and other manufactured items, such as doors, window sashes, other than for local consumption. There is a substantial amount of fishing done in the coastal region of the country and around the offshore reefs, keys and islands. Besides the subsistence fishing of some of the local population with small boats in nearby waters there is also commercial fishing in the lagoons and offshore. Besides various species of fish, lobsters are also taken from the reef areas for commercial sale, along with netting of shrimp by the larger commercial fishing trawlers. These commercial enterprises do create some social economic benefits to the region at this time based on these particular resources.

Currently there is still over 60% unemployment in the region in general with a small number of persons who also find limited employment in some mining operations in areas adjacent to the region. It has been noted that these resources such as the forests and fisheries are limited in scope as to expansion of productivity without major depletion unless specific controls are established to prevent depletion of resources. In the case of mining in areas near the region, which does reflect some regional benefits in employment, like all such mineral resources they will become depleted. Without specific controls or quotas on fishing there will be depletion of the fishery resources which will lead to further unemployment along with less food fish for most of the subsistence fishermen who’s families and local residents are most dependent on this resource for personal survival. forestry resources have to be better managed with a selective cutting program and extensive in order to maintain a future source of long-term revenue from this industry. For the most part such management and conservation practices are being ignored.

MOSQUITIA REGION TOURISM INDUSTRY POTENTIAL:
The region does have a number of natural attractions with certain resources which are appropriate to tourism developments of a general or specific nature. These natural attractions and natural or renewable resources that are appropriate for tourism developments are described as follows ie

A) COASTAL BEACH AREAS: There are many undeveloped areas of beaches along the Caribbean coastline of the country. While many of these beaches cannot be reached by commercial airline services at this time there are still a number that are accessible in locations near commercial airports at Puerto Cabezas and Bluefields.
Both of these domestic airports have four daily flights which connect to/from the international airport at Managua. From either one of these airports there is reasonable access to nearby beach areas by roads or by water transport. It should also be mentioned that both Puerto Cabezas and Bluefields are port towns for small
and medium size ocean freighters.


b) REGIONAL CARIBBEAN ISLANDS: The principal island of the region is that of Corn Island which has a surface area of four square miles. There are several thousand inhabitants here and one principal industry centered around a port and (3) processing operation for commercial fishing. The island is quite scenic and has a number beaches around its perimeter, some of which have urban development nearer the seaport and airport. There still remains large stretches of beach which are appropriate for development for tourism. Currently there are a few very small rustic hotels or inns on the island, which do offer accommodations to a very small number of tourists. There are no organized tourist services on the island which offer any sort of tour programs & leisure-time activities associated with the local attractions or features of the location, such as recreational diving on surrounding reef sites and sunken ships or coastal and deep-sea fishing. Corn Island has the geographic features of several high hills along its center with some medium to dense forest cover.

The local freshwater supply comes from the interior of the island from some wells and water retention ponds.
The airport on the island has 4 daily flights to/from the international airport in Managua, some of which make a brief stop-over at Bluefields either coming or going.
Local transportation on the island consists of vintage vehicles that offer taxi service and there are always several at the airport to receive arriving passengers on each flight. There are also several rather antique buses which circulate along the perimeter road of the island with no fixed schedule, but they offer the opportunity for an informal tour to see all or most of the local attractions at a cost of less than a dollar.
Taxis can also be hired to tour the island and make stops at points of interest and they can drop you off at some remote beach to explore, swim and snorkel dive and come back to pick( you up by appointment. There is another island which lies about 12 miles due North of this one which is called Little Corn Island. A native sail boat or power launch can take you there where one can find pristine beaches, a small protected bay and a number of shallow sandy flats and extensive reefs around the islands perimeter. There are only a few persons who live on this island which only has a surface area of a little over one square mile. The island has some elevation in its interior with some trees and other vegetation.
Corn Island is reminiscent of what some of Pre-World War 2 small out islands of the Bahamas were like. except that it does have electricity. The local population is what can be described as laid back and friendly. English is widely spoken here where the second language is Spanish. The predominance of English language is heritage which goes back to the populations origins from the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize.


There was a presence of the British in this part of the world for several centuries with British war ships, privateers and pirates, plus some
settlements on the mainland at several points along the Caribbean coastline. Among islands inhabitants are those who are descendants of the Miskito Indians & others are descended from staves from other islands in the Caribbean.

c) CORN ISLAND POTENTIAL FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: The
natural attractions do exist for the creation of infrastructure and services for tourists. There are a considerable number of flights from the international airport from/ to the island. The development potential would indicate the need for small to medium
size hotels in initial stages, later to be expanded or added to according to demand. Tour services would have to be established for diving, fishing, local cruises etc., to complement activities for the area. Any new hotels would be advised to add these activities and the appropriate equipment for these services in order to be able to
offer a more complete tour package of several days. It will also be necessary to have publicity materials for travel agencies offering such travel packages. Tourism could become an important source of revenue to the islanders and create much more employment where the main economic activity and employment is only in the commercial fishing industry at this time. Currently there is very little in the way of employment opportunity for the islanders.

d) REEF FORMATIONS L & KEYS (CAYOS): There are a dozen or more large reef area in the immediate vicinity of the East Coast of the country, with some others which are located further offshore. The of these reefs with the greatest number of Keys is that of the Miskito Keys which has 50 or more of these keys or islands most of which would be classified as small keys or islets. The largest of the keys has a surface area of several square miles and has a considerable amount of vegetation primarily mangrove forest. There are other keys within the 40 square kilometer reef and keys complex that have a surface area of 1/2 square mile or less.

Currently there are no permanent residences or commercial structures on any of these keys with the exception of some small huts which are used by a few lobster fishermen during short periods of time. The distance to reach the keys is about 35 miles North Northeast from the port town of Puerto Cabezas or about a 3.5 hour trip by sea at slow cruising speed on a boat.

MOSKITO KEYS DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL:
There are important natural attractions throughout this extensive area of reefs and keys which offer a range of tourist interest and leisure-time activities. Among these interests and activities would be recreational diving for both SCUBA and Snorkeling enthusiasts among a variety of unique coral formations that are found at shallow and medium depths. There are also opportunities for diving at greater depths on coral wall and other formations found in deeper waters. It is also reported that there are some wrecks of ships that have sunken at several locations, which also would be of interest for recreational divers.
Another attraction of interest in the Miskito Keys is that of sportfishing. There are a variety of game fish that are found here which include many of the important popular species which millions of sport fishing enthusiasts fish for in the Florida Keys and coastal areas, many locations in the Bahamas and in other locations in the Caribbean. The Miskito Keys offer an extensive array of these popular game fish in both size and quantity.

Among other tourism activities there can be that of Eco-tourism, bird watching and adventure trips exploring the many uninhabited islets. The largest key in this group does have extensive nesting areas for a variety of bird native to the region. In addition, a number of keys in this group also are resting points for many species of birds from North America during their annual migrations to and from Central and South America each year.

The Miskito Keys have natural attractions & resources on which to base 4 or more types of tour programs within the category of Special Interest Tours. What is required for such tour operations is the appropriate infrastructure, accommodations and equipment for tourist guests for their leisure-time pursuits. There are currently four flights per day from/to Managua and Puerto Cabezas, which is the nearest point of embarkation’s to reach the Miskito Keys. It is about 3 1/2 hours by sea from this coastal port to the keys. The tour programs and leisure-time activities that are mentioned above are viable elements for the development of an extensive tourism business based within the Miskito Keys.

e) COASTAL REGION TOURISM DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL:
The North East region of the country which borders on the Caribbean & extends West toward the central highlands is often referred to as the Miskito Coast in reference to the Indian population. This region offers a number of distinct possibilities for the development of tourism enterprises based on the natural and renewable resources which exist there. These particular resources or natural attraction features include a number of rivers and tributaries which have access to jungle forests which have a rich diversity of flora and fauna in a number of primitive areas. Such primitive areas lend themselves to tourism programs for persons who have an interest in Eco-tourism, adventure tours, nature study and bird watching activities, etc. The rivers and natural lagoons and many connecting
waterways throughout the region allow boat travel for tourist groups to see these natural wonders which are a growing focus of interest in recent years. Close by to such natural attractions there are a number of picturesque sites on lagoon beaches or on the actual ocean front where tourist lodges or hotels can be built to accommodate such tourists.

Other natural attractions which are close to many such potential sites for tourist lodges or hotels are a number of reef areas with small keys (islets) where SCUBA diving and snorkeling or exploration by small tour boats can be conducted for tourist groups. Also beach exploration along the extensive, undeveloped, natural beaches of the region offers a welcome opportunity for tourists to see this unique setting of primitive coastline as compared with the heavily developed beaches throughout the world today. These are among the natural features or attractions which are the basis for successful tourism activities and the development of the infrastructure appropriate to this important segment of the tourism market.

The features and points of tourism attraction for potential development are found along the entire East coast of the country from the North border of the country with Honduras and the Southern border with the country of Costa Rica. Many locations along this coastline offer excellent sport fishing for such popular game fish species as Tarpon and Snook. These species are found in the many coastal lagoons and waterways which connect with the sea and the interconnecting waterways between such lagoons, as well as, in the rivers which feed into these lagoons from the inland watersheds. In the case of the San Juan River, which drains huge Lake Nicaragua, these important game fish migrate from the sea up the river and are also found in the lake after traveling several hundred miles from the Caribbean. Fishing for these species can be done in both the river and the lake over many months of the year. Tarpon and snook are game fish which are very popular with millions of sport fishermen many of whom travel from hundreds to thousands of miles outside of the USA to go fishing in foreign countries.

SUMMARY OF DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THE REGION:
There is a positive indication that tourism enterprises in this region would create much needed social economic benefits. The natural and renewable resources or tourism attractions that are the basis for appropriate tourism businesses would not manifest a degradation of these resources such as is occurring with other regional industries, such as, timber harvesting, excessive fishing by commercial enterprises and mining operations which tend to degrade water quality. At the same time there is a logical tendency of tourism enterprises which are dependent on these same natural and resources as the basis of their business operations, to protect and conserve these. The scope of such potential tourism developments in the region indicate that this industry can be the primary source of social/economic benefits to the region. In terms of employment there would be job opportunities for a greater number of persons in the region than in all current commercial activities. What is important too is the fact that tourism is an long- term business activity which has shown consistent growth since World War 2, whereas, the travel and tourism business is now a 3.5 trillion dollar annual revenue industry which also employs over l57 million persons world-wide. ( Statistics the World Tourism Organization). This is the largest industry in the world and it continues to grow year by year. Special Interest Tours with Adventure & Eco-tourism travel are the fastest growing segments of the tourism market and currently constitutes about 10 to 15% of annual tourism revenue.

THE BROAD SCOPE OF SOCIAL/ECONOMIC BENEFITS
The social/ economic benefits of tourism accrue to many countries and regions of the world today. In recent years such benefits have had a positive impact within indigenous societies in these years with the participation of these people in tourism enterprises. This has been seen in the example of primitive tribal groups, living in primitive regions of the world where the natural and renewable resources are most appropriate and necessary to specific types of tourism enterprises.

In effect this has demonstrated the value of such natural and renewable resources in retaining and conserving- these since they are the basis of an important segment of the tourism industry in the operations of such enterprises. The various segments of Special Interest Tours generates hundreds of billions of dollars annually in the world. The basic foundation of this business are many small enterprises which offer accommodations, services, tours and programs for a few hundred to a thousand or more persons each year. Together such enterprises account for a multi-billion dollar contribution to annual tourism revenues with a positive economic impact to world economies, particularly in Third World or those developing countries where there are primitive regions with the appropriate conditions for these types of tourism enterprises. The social /economic benefits accrue to a broad spectrum of the travel industry including airlines, travel agencies, in transit hotels, receptive travel organizations, ground transportation services. car rental agencies, etc.

Economic benefits also accrue to a wide range of products which are used in Special Interest Tour operations. These products include large and small boats, boat motors, boat equipment, sport fishing equipment, safari vehicles, electronics and communication equipment, appliances for lodges, SCUBA diving equipment of various types, and a host of other products necessary to various tour operations throughout the world. Considering that each small or medium enterprise which operates in remote or semi-remote regions of the world requires a quantity of such materials for their operations, and when there are thousands of such enterprises that this indicates the huge quantities of such materials and products which are involved. The growth in tourism and travel is a significant factor in the passenger aircraft manufacturing industry) in the USA with respect to national and intentional sales of products by American companies.

The fact that American companies manufacture a broad range of equipment and products which are utilized in outfitter or other tourism operations abroad represents a significant annual contribution to the American economy. In the case of employment surveys and studies conducted by Field & Stream magazine (owned by the Times/Mirror Publishing Group ) stated in a recent article, that 1% of the American labor force was involved in various sectors of the outdoor sports industry, particularly fishing. When we consider the overall tourism and travel industry as an employer in the USA with airlines, travel agencies and related services and products, as well as, advertising in the media, that millions of Americans receive direct and indirect benefits of employment in this industry. Even foreign air carriers, and cruise ship companies that have bases of operations, sale and promotion activities in the USA, employ a considerable number of persons in this country.


Jorge Giraldez-Benard
Latin American Advisors Company Ltd.
e-mail JGiraldezB@yahoo.com or Giraldez@bellsouth.net
YahooPager or AOL User name: JGiraldezB
P.O. Box 140064 Coral Gables, Florida 33114 EEUU
Private:Voice/Fax (305)597-1555/ ICQ#:11068713





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Latin American Advisors Company Ltd.
e-mail JGiraldezB@yahoo.com -or- Giraldez@bellsouth.net
YahooPager or AOL User name: JGiraldezB
P.O. Box 140064 Coral Gables, Florida 33114 EEUU
Private: Voice/Fax (305)597-1555/ ICQ#:11068713
Solamente aquellos que suen~an lo absurdo, haran lo imposible
Only those who dream the absurd, shall accomplish the impossible

[jo3ortaga]

Very Good Information

[gringo]

you go bro!!

[delgado25]

So what do you have in mind for this project?

[seantaylor29]

Olsen