Minister of Tourism Felix Jiménez said that in 1998 the government will invest US$12 million in an advertising and promotional campaign in principal source markets. The government invested US$8 million last year. The monies will be spent in the United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, England and France. Minister Jiménez says that the national hotel inventory continues to grow, with an additional 3,700 hotel rooms expected to open this year. Tourism industry generated US$2,200 million in 1997, a 15% growth over 1996. More than 2.5 million tourists arrived and the hotel inventory increased from 35,729 rooms in 1996 to 38,000 last year.
