Trade and Commercial Law Assessment - Honduras - Economic ...

TRADE AND COMMERCIAL LAW ASSESSMENT DECEMBER 2004
HONDURAS
XII.
A.
FLOW OF PEOPLE
INTRODUCTION
After Costa Rica, Honduras has the greatest flow of people across its borders in the region.
Annua l visitors to the country numbered more than 886,000 in 2003, up from 672,000 in 2001,
a
32 percent
rise. According to officials, a great number of these visitors (i.e., 276,000, or
approximately
one-third of travelers) are on single-day excursions from cruise ships. The
greatest
share of cross-border traffic (58 percent) comes from residents of other Central
Americ an countries. North American visitors account for 30 percent of total visitors; Europeans,
7 percent;
and others, the remaining 5 percent.
In total, arrival by air constitutes the largest portion of cross-border traffic, with
Honduras’s two
airports receiving roughly 44 percent of Honduras’s arrivals (29 percent arriving at San Pedro
Sula
and 20 percent arriving in Tegucigalpa), according to immigration agency sources.
Approximately 34 percent of travelers cross the land borders; 2 percent travel by sea. Among
land crossings, El Amatillo (El Salvador) and Guasule mark the major entry points, with 21
percent each of crossings. Las Manos ranks third, with 15 percent of overall traffic. As noted
previously, tourism is one of Honduras’s largest “exports” (the highest export after maquilas),
and significant
money flow results from the flow of people. Revenue from tourism provided
$373 million
in 2003, up from $274 million in 2001 (a 36 percent rise).
Overall, Honduran laws and public and private institutions facilitate the flows of trade-related
people. Honduras is streamlining processes at land border crossings, upgrading its automation,
and am ending its laws. However, as with other Honduran public institutions, Honduran peopleflow
institutions are not professional and are overly politicized. Also, Honduras could do more to
simplify
its system for handling highly skilled visitors seeking longer stays. Work permits
require more than 12 pieces of paperwork and involve five or more government agencies.
Further, Honduras can do more to address illegitimate people flows, which remain a significant
problem. Honduras’s borders with Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua are long and porous,
and Honduras now serves as a key origin and transit country for illegal immigration to the United
States.
B. LEGAL FRAMEWORK
The legal framework generally supports core trade facilitation intraregional movements of traderelated
persons such as business travelers and transporters. There are no undue restrictions.
However, the law presents a legal maze for highly skilled workers seeking longer stays.
1. Laws and Regulations That Support Trade Facilitation
Laws and regulations further trade facilitation through the following measures:
♦ The law does not require a visa for visitors from the United States, the EU, Canada,
Mexico, and the CAFTA countries.
♦ With regard to regional harmonization, the CA-4 requirements provide a model in the
immigration area. These new requirements allow CA-4 members to travel freely without
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