Local Allure

Book a memorable event amid Nicaragua’s stunning natural attractions.

- JACK GUY

MICE travel is a hotly contested sector, and tourism boards around the world strive to work out ways to attract big events with international clients.

Nicaragua, known as the land of lakes and volcanoes, is one such nation. Central America’s largest country by area isn’t a traditional bastion of the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions segment, but its tourism authorities made moves to attract more of these bookings in recent years. It’s fair to say Nicaragua has a lot to attract visitors. The country boasts both Pacific and Caribbean coasts as well as spectacular countryside in between, where some of the best coffee in the world is grown. Most of the population lives in the west, where you will find rough and ready Managua, the capital city, as well as the more charming and laid-back cities of León and Granada. The latter sits on the edge of massive Lake Nicaragua, home to the stunning volcanic island of Ometepe.

With so many attractions it should come as no surprise the country was one of the rising stars in Latin American tourism in the 2010s, but widespread social unrest starting in April 2018 hit the industry hard. Despite the ongoing controversy over alleged human rights abuses, the Nicaraguan government launched an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at encouraging visitors to return, and numbers appear to be picking up once more.