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  Is Insecurity Killing Venezuela’s Tourism Industry?

Despite its vibrant cities and breathtaking Caribbean coastline, the home of Angel Falls seems to be struggling with all matters tourism. Venezuela, the once popular holiday destination is now but a shell of its potential. The country’s tourism is running out, probably much to the dismay of the country’s tourism minister who so assuredly referred to tourism as the oil that never runs out. Venezuela is as broke as it is dangerous, the result of an economic shutdown and two decades of corruption and social crimes (News.com, 2018). Despite its rich oil reserves, Venezuela is in a quagmire of sorts. Most developing countries rely on tourism in such economic crises and Venezuela is no exception (Biscevic, 2019). However, almost no one wants to go to Venezuela and the country’s tourism sector is barely on its feet. So, why is the former premier tourist hub not delivering a sustainable economic sector?

Venezuela ranks 2^nd last when it comes to tourist growth, says World Travel and Tourism Council. Yes, the country’s oil that never runs out is flowing slower than even Libya and Syria. First of all, it is difficult to travel to Venezuela. In late 2017, several airlines announced that they would be cancelling their flights in and out of Venezuela because of the violence and instability. These airlines included;

• Aeromexico
• Avianca of Colombia
• Air Canada
• Argentine Airlines
• Alitalia
• Lufthansa Airlines of Germany
• United and Delta Airlines of the US

Speaking in 2018, the IATA’s vice president expressed concerns that Venezuela’s situation was becoming difficult. Mr. Peter Cerda added that a majority of IATA’s members had ceased operating in Venezuela leaving the country detached from the rest of the world. Only 15 airlines still operate in Venezuela. The rest have been warded off by the economic crisis, the insecurity problems or both. There have been incidences at airports where luggage is stolen. In 2016, a robbery at Caracas International Airport left an Egyptian tourist dead. Some airlines have accused the government of withholding money from the sale of tickets locally to the tune of hundreds of millions (USD).

If you think getting into Venezuela is difficult, try living in Venezuela. That Venezuela is unsafe is an understatement. Last year, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advised its citizens against visiting Venezuela. The warning read “Violent crime, including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, drive-by shootings and carjacking, is endemic.” According to the Washington Post, hotel owners are just as affected; “foreign tourists are not going to come if they think they are going to get killed. The Post reports that a particular hotel owner in Chichiriviche had hardly seen any international visitor in two years. Just the previous year, a Belgian had been robbed at gunpoint by six men at the hotel (Faiola and Zuniga, 2018). Would you be willing to visit the hotel after hearing of such incidences? I guess not.

Figure 1Crime in Venezuela. Sourced from visual.ly

Just this month, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued a warning to all Britons against travelling to Venezuela because of the high crime rates and political instability. According to the FCO, the situation in Venezuela remains highly volatile despite and foreigners must be wary of violent crime and kidnapping. In 2017, major violence was reported in various cities across the country (Commonwealth Office, 2019).  The country’s Interior Ministry reported 53 deaths a day in that year.

Hardest hit areas in Venezuela (2017)

• Valencia
• Caracas
• Maracay
• Barquisimeto
• Ciudad Guayana

In 2018, parts of violence experienced smaller incidents of violence including looting. It is possible that these violent acts are fuelled by the scarcity of law enforcement in the affected areas.

The insecurity in the country has also affected the quality of accommodation available to tourists. Hotel owners have a hard time getting repairs done because of the poor access to imported goods. Imagine spending a vacation at a hotel where items such as toilet paper and soap are rationed. Well, that is the current situation in most Venezuelan hotels. Not only do you have to regulate the number of times you use the washroom but also deal with power blackouts. The strict rationing plus endless power failures have made it almost impossible to maintain the hotels. Many people are discouraged from visiting the country because they have to compromise on luxury and comfort. If you do manage to get a quality hotel, then you have to worry about the insecurity. Such places are very attractive for local looters who steal basic commodities such as light bulbs and towels from the hotel rooms.

Road travel in Venezuela is also another hindrance to sustainable tourism. Fuel shortages have made it difficult to travel across the country via road. Also, various parts of the country are prone to violent incidents making the roads dangerous. Caucagua area (East Caracas) is one such area. Stopping in such areas is extremely unadvisable. Frequent protests by the local people sometimes lead to closure of some main roads making some areas inaccessible. Protests are common in Venezuela. These protests are linked to issues such as water, electricity and food shortages, and politics. Such protests often turn violent unexpectedly leading to travel disruptions; roads may be closed and some airlines may cancel or reduce their flights (Safety and Security, 2019).

Figure 2 Local looking for food in the garbage. Sourced from wikipedia.org

Venezuela has a long way to go in the journey towards sustainable tourism. The country must first tackle corruption, if it is to make any progress. Efforts must be made to make the country safer for both locals and tourists such as combating food and water shortage. What the country needs most is international support to foster dialogue between the government and the opposition. Political stability should be the key objective of any efforts to revive Venezuela.  Ultimately, a safer Venezuela will be more attractive to tourists in the future.