What world does this guy live in?

Honduran Minister of Tourism

Honduran Minister of Tourism Ricardo Martinez would like to see 50% of the Honduran population traveling this Easter week. What world does this guy live in? Here is an excerpt from Honduras This Week Online (HTW):

He welcomes the expected increase of 200,000 national tourists but he would like to see more, if it weren’t for the limited hotel capacity. “1.8 million Hondurans traveling during three days is not much. We would like to see at least 50 percent of the Honduran population traveling.”

Apparently no one told him that 60% of the population lives below the poverty line and would have a tough time coming up with bus fare for their families much less money for restaurants and hotels. Not to mention the fact that some portion of the population will have to work in those restaurants and hotels and drive the buses, etc.

I really think this is so typical of the elite who become politicians. It's a little like the former (I'm happy to say former) minister of education who told teachers who hadn't received their government paychecks for months that they should just take out loans to meet their obligations. They really don't have a clue.

The HTW article also states that "Honduras is expecting 1.8 million Honduran and 60,000 foreign travelers during the upcoming Semana Santa (Holy week). Easter Week is an important source of income for the Honduran tourism industry, as Honduran and Central American visitors spend an average of $250 per visit, North Americans $1,000 and Europeans $1,200."

The minimum wage in Honduras is around U.S. $100 per month.