Managua, Nicaragua

At the invitation of the U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua, O.P. Garza, who visited New Orleans in March, a Louisiana Trade and Tourism Mission will travel to Managua July 3-7 to promote new business between Louisiana and Nicaragua. The organizations involved in the mission include the Consulate General of Nicaragua, the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, Louisiana Tax Free Shopping, the U.S. Export Assistance Center, the Port of New Orleans, New Orleans International Airport, and the World Trade Center. Louisiana companies interested in export-import or investment opportunities in Nicaragua are encouraged to participate.

The delegation will fly from New Orleans to Managua on Continental Airlines via Houston on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 3, arriving that evening. The group will stay at the new Inter-Continental Metrocentro Hotel in Managua. On July 4, the delegation will be special guests at Ambassador Garza’s Fourth of July noontime reception for 500 prominent Nicaraguan government and business leaders. The reception will feature Louisiana cuisine specially prepared by Chef Roy Lyons of the Frog City Café in Rayne and Louisiana music by Joe Simon’s Jazz Quartet. On the morning of July 4, the Louisiana delegation will take an informative tour of the city, business, and industrial areas of Managua, and in the afternoon tour the nearby countryside, Masaya Volcano and marketplace, followed by a reception at the home of ex-New Orleanian Mike Newton, who resides in Managua with his family.

On Thursday, July 5, the members of the mission will be briefed on the current economic, commercial, and political outlook in Nicaragua and the best opportunities for Louisiana companies. At noon, the delegation will host a Cajun luncheon seminar for Nicaraguan companies at the Inter-Continental on "Doing Business with Louisiana," followed by one-on-one meetings to discuss specific opportunities with Nicaraguan importers, agents, distributors, suppliers, prospective joint-venture partners, franchisees, licensees, transportation companies, and other service providers. The luncheon seminar is being organized by the American Chamber of Commerce of Nicaragua. The best prospects for U.S. sales in Nicaragua include agricultural commodities, fertilizer, farm equipment, food processing/packaging machinery, medical supplies, data processing equipment, and U.S. motor vehicles and spare parts. The best investment opportunities exist in export-oriented manufacturing, tourism, mining, and agriculture. There may also be opportunities in road building, water system construction, and electricity generation. For more information about the Nicaraguan economy and the best business opportunities, visit the U.S. Embassy’s website at www.usembassy.state.gov/managua. Also, the text of the address which Ambassador Garza delivered at a business luncheon at the World Trade Center in New Orleans on March 20, 2001, is available by clicking here.

In the late-afternoon of July 5, representatives of Louisiana’s tourism industry will conduct a briefing on the state’s cultural and tourism attractions for Nicaraguan tour operators and travel agents, followed by a reception hosted by the delegation and Continental Airlines and featuring Louisiana cuisine and music. Friday, July 6 will be reserved for follow-up appointments, site visits, and meetings. A farewell dinner for the Louisiana delegation will be held on Friday evening at a top local restaurant. For mission members wishing to have a more extensive business schedule on Thursday afternoon and Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Managua is offering its Gold Key Service at a cost of $300 which includes: individual appointments with potential business partners or clients; detailed briefing material on each Nicaraguan company for the appointments; a bilingual escort interpreter/business expert to accompany the Louisiana company representative on the business appointments; and a driver (plus a rental car that can be reserved at the Embassy’s rate). Additional details on the Embassy’s Gold Key Service can be accessed at www.usembassy.state.gov/managua. The delegation will return to New Orleans on Saturday, July 7, arriving at 2:39 p.m.

The cost for each participant on the mission, which includes a special group airfare with Continental Airlines, four nights at the Inter-Continental Metrocentro (single), and the basic program and all events described above, is $1,575. The maximum number of qualified companies to be included in the mission is 20, to be registered on a first-come, first-paid basis.  If you are interested in participating, call the World Trade Center ASAP at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222.