![]() ![]() These flights included fighter aircraft and rescue helicopters taking off and landing as part of counterinsurgent operations. ![]() ![]() It should be noted that the airport supported joint civilian-military operations during the 1960-1996 Civil War. During this time, Guatemala’s civilian airport began operating independently from its original military purposes. By the 1960s, major airlines began operating flights to Guatemala City. ![]() After the war, the runway was expanded to accommodate civilian flights. In World War II, the US military flew in and out of the base carrying material and passengers. The military received support from the United States during its construction, which led to US planes landing and using it as a refueling station. Guatemala’s only international airport was built in the 1930s as a base for the fledgling air force. It is largely up to private companies and local municipalities to make efforts to draw tourists to their respective jurisdictions.īut one particular situation has become emblematic of Guatemala’s lack of concerted efforts to support tourism: La Aurora International Airport. Tourism as a whole receives very little government support. While there may be seemingly more important priorities, the fact remains that administration after administration has neglected the tourism sector. In Guatemalan politics, the tourism industry is an afterthought as each new administration comes into office with a stack of priorities, ranging from repairing dilapidated infrastructure to halting illegal immigration. However, tourism is one of the topics that is generally neglected. Some candidates, such as former president Jimmy Morales, base their entire platform on anti-corruption efforts. Most candidates base their campaigns on ways to improve the economy or guarantee public safety. Will a new administration bring a long-awaited transformation?Įlection cycles typically focus on three main issues in Guatemala: corruption, public safety, and low wages. Nestor Quixtan looks the challenges faced by La Aurora Airport in Guatemala and its significance in the larger context of the country’s tourism development. ![]()
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