Regional Development in the Copan Valley Project

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The development objective of the Regional Development in the Copan Valley Project is to achieve sustainable tourism development based on the cultural and natural patrimony of the Copan Valley and the surrounding areas which will, as a result, create investment opportunities for the private sector, foster employment, and reduce poverty in one of the poorest regions of Honduras. To increase economic growth, the Government is pursuing a robust tourism development strategy that capitalizes on its many exceptional natural and cultural resources. In 2002, tourism grew by 20 percent with more than 800,000 visitors. The Government seeks to increase this number to one million visitors by 2005 and be a regional leader in tourism by 2021. Project components are: 1) integrated development of archeological parks and sites, will create and Archeological Tourism Circuit by financing tourism infrastructure and training in participatory management; 2) income generation opportunities, will implement a program of formation for populations in the project areas, particularly the very poor; and 3) institutional development, will design and implement institutional strengthening and communications, and enhancements to the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) and monitoring and evaluation.