Travel Insurance Honduras

Business Practices

Business people are generally expected to dress professionally and some dining rooms require men to wear a jacket. It is customary to address a professional person by his or her title, particularly on first meeting or during early acquaintance. Spanish is the official language of Honduras. A large number of Honduran professionals and businessmen speak English and many high government officials and private sector leaders were educated in the United States. There are very few local interpreter or translation services available. Hondurans often view written contracts as formalities that represent a verbal agreement between trusted colleagues. The verbal understanding is therefore sometimes given greater importance than the written contract. Personal relationships are important in creating and maintaining business ties and avoiding disputes. Honduran business people frequently seek to build lifetime relationships and establish close links with clients or customers, which creates a reciprocal feeling of obligation and a mutual desire to be helpful. Hondurans are hospitable and gracious hosts. Generally the consummation of a business deal is closely related to some kind of social activity. When meeting with Honduran counterparts it is often best to wade into business matters gradually. After the formalities of courtesy have been taken care of, meetings generally turn to a more concrete discussion of business. Negotiations tend to be slower and more drawn out in Honduras. Hondurans place more emphasis on completing human transactions than on holding to schedules. Punctuality somewhat lax and waiting is typical. This different approach to scheduling and punctuality should be taken as a cultural difference, not as discourtesy or disinterest. Office hours are typically 0800-1200 and 1400-1700 Monday to Friday and 0800-1100 Saturday. Government offices: 0830-1200 and 1300-1630 Monday to Friday.

Crime

Petty and violent crime, including armed robberies, carjackings, sexual assaults, muggings, and home invasions, is prevalent throughout the country. A large percentage of the population is armed. Kidnappings and carjackings occur. Carjackers target vehicles leaving San Pedro Sula airport. There is typically a rash of armed robberies followed by brief increases in police patrols. Criminals also target travelers at and around hotels, as well as wealthy-looking residents in San Pedro Sula, Tela, Trujillo, Tegucigalpa, Goascor?n, and the Department of Olancho. Criminal activity towards foreign citizens is also rising on the islands of Roat?n and Utila. Travellers should remain vigilant at all times, including in airports, bus terminals, shopping malls and other public places. Do not show signs of affluence and avoid walking or travelling after dark. Ensure personal belongings and travel documents are secure at all times. The emergency number for local police is 199. Police response to criminal incidents may be limited and delayed, and there are doubts about the politicization of the police force (see ?Risk Assessment? above). The Honduran police generally do not speak English or French. There are tourist police in La Ceiba, Copan, Tela and San Pedro Sula. The most dangerous stretches for road travel are from Tegucigalpa to Choluteca (mountain curves); from El Progreso to La Ceiba (animal crossings and the poorly maintained bridges); from Limones to La Union (highway banditry); and from Tegucigalpa to Copan (mountain curves and poor road conditions). Armed gangs operate along the road from La Esperanza to Gracias (CA-11a). There have also been frequent incidents of highway robbery on Route 41 in Olancho around Salam? and northward to Saba. Route 39 between Gualaco and San Esteban is dangerous and should be avoided. Remain alert en route to El Progreso, Tela, Trujillo, La Ceiba, and on the road through Santa Barbara. Armed gangs play out different scenarios to trap motorists. At roadblocks, drivers should establish the identity of the individuals stopping them before rolling down the window or opening the door. Do not stop to attend to a body on the roadside; report it to the next police point instead. Drive with windows closed and doors locked at all times. Campers should always ensure that facilities are patrolled and well lit. Verify the safety of any beach with local police, park rangers, or hotel staff. Backpackers travelling by ferry from La Ceiba to the Bay Islands have been robbed. Although not a primary tourist destination, the northern part of the Department of Olancho is known for lumber and narcotics smuggling and violence. Gang violence is a growing problem in Honduras. Since January 2004 there have been at least 10 cases of gang-related beheadings. Street gangs known as "maras" have left a string of dead bodies in the streets in Honduras in a grisly warning to the government to stop the crackdown on their activities that it launched late on 2003. Earlier in 2004 gunmen attacked a car belonging to the president of the Honduran Congress, who had been targeted by organized crime for his crusade to imprison violent gang leaders. Bodies have also been found in Guatemala with notes telling President Oscar Berger not to move against the "maras." Honduras and El Salvador both introduced legislation last year making it illegal to be a gang member. But the gangs are spreading to neighboring countries and Mexico. Many of the gang members were initiated during stays in the United States. There have been kidnapping attempts and threats against wealthy-appearing Hondurans and foreigners. The body of an American kidnap victim was discovered in 2001 in a shallow river near the town of Tulian on Honduras? Caribbean coast. The victim was pulled from his unfinished beachfront house outside the nearby town of Puerto Cortes two days earlier. In 2003, assailants murdered the Belgian Honorary Consul in San Pedro Sula after kidnapping his wife. The San Pedro Sula area has seen occasional armed robberies against tourist vans, minibuses and cars traveling from the airport to area hotels, infrequently targeting the road to Copan. Robberies in this area may be based on tips from sources at airport arrival areas associated with large amounts of luggage/supplies usually for groups ? not average tourists; please exercise caution in discussing travel plans in public. Copan, the Bay Islands and other tourist destinations have a lower crime rate than other parts of the country, but petty thefts and assaults do occur. Specifically, visitors to Copan and the Bay Islands have experienced some petty thefts and, on Roatan Island, robbers have targeted homes and longer-term leased residences.

Hotels

and pensions are considered safer. Tourists and residents should avoid walking at night in most areas of Honduras, especially in the major cities. Do not resist a robbery attempt. Most criminals have weapons, and most injuries and deaths have resulted when victims have resisted. Two foreign tourists were murdered in July 2002 while resisting an armed robbery on a public bus in which they were traveling. There have been incidents of armed assaults against private sailing vessels by criminals posing as fishermen off the northeast coast of Honduras, particularly in the numerous small islands northeast of the coast of the Department of Gracias a Dios. Sailors should contact the Coast Guard and yacht facility managers in their areas of travel for current information. Hotels Visitors can choose from a wide variety of suitable hotel and bed and breakfast accommodations in major cities and tourist areas of Honduras. Among the most popular hotels in Tegucigalpa are the Honduras Maya, Plaza San Mart n, Portal del Angel, Excelsior, La Ronda, El Prado, and La Alameda. In San Pedro Sula, most business travelers stay at the Camino Real Inter-Continental, Hotel y Club Copantl, Gran Hotel Sula, and Hotel Los Pr ceres. Hotels construction projects in the country include the Crowne Plaza, Camino Real Inter- Continental, Holiday Inn Express, Princess Hotel, and a chain of Hyatt Hotels in Roatan, among others.

Communications

Telephone service is adequate. The country code is 504 and the outgoing international code is 00. Direct-dial, long-distance calling within Honduras and to the U.S. and several other countries is available but expensive. Costs are based on the destination, and rates are available through operator assistance. Night rates are charged from 10 PM to 7 AM daily. Direct-dial calls placed from the continental U.S. to Honduras are considerably cheaper. AT&T credit card holders may also use the less costly "USA-Direct" service. MCI and Sprint have similar services. Multimedia and data transmission services, such as fax, electronic mail, Internet, and cellular telephony, are also available in the country. Post office hours are 0800-1200 and 1400-1800 Monday to Saturday.

Electricity

is at 110/220 volts AC, 60Hz. Electricity 110/120/220 volts AC, 60Hz.

Plug Types

A,B

Food And Dining

There is a wide variety of restaurants and bars in Tegucigalpa and the main cities.

National specialties:
? Curiles (seafood).
? Tortillas.
? Enchiladas.
? Fruits: mangoes, papayas, pineapples, avocados and bananas.

Tipping:
Service is included in most restaurant bills. In hotels, cafes and restaurants, 10 per cent of the bill is customary where service is not included. Porters and cab drivers should be tipped when helping with the luggage (La0.50 to La1). Hotels, travel agencies and tour operators charge an extra 4 per cent for tourism services.

Nightlife
There are cinemas and discos in the main cities. There are also casinos in the major cities, plus many bars, some of which offer happy hours.