IX. BUSINESS TRAVEL A. BUSINESS CUSTOMS The U.S. is Honduras' main trading partner and U.S. citizens are considered to be trustworthy. The contract is a formality that represents an "agreement between gentlemen." But even when a gentleman has breached his word his personal dignity must be preserved. Hondurans are very hospitable and gracious hosts. Generally social activity is closely related to the consummation of a deal. Business etiquette dictates that going straight to the point when negotiating with Hondurans is not well received. When meeting with them it is best to wade in slowly. Only when the formalities of courtesy have been attended to should the interview enter into a more concrete discussion of the business at hand. Negotiations tend to be slower and more drawn out in Honduras than in the U.S. Traffic in the two largest cities is always a problem so visitors should allow ample time between appointments. Punctuality is more lax than in the U.S. and waiting is typical. U.S. businesspeople are in a hurry but Hondurans are not always available so do not expect to be given an appointment just because you have come for one day only. It isn't necessarily a sign of disinterest, but should be taken as more of a cultural difference. B. TRAVEL ADVISORY AND VISAS Immigration: United States citizens must have a passport. Visas are not required for bearers of U.S. diplomatic, official, or regular passports for tourist or business visits under 60 days. The Honduran Embassy or consulates issue visas and answer queries regarding tourism in Honduras. No immunizations are required for entry. C. HOLIDAYS Honduran Holidays - 1995 DATE DAY OF THE WEEK HOLIDAY January 2 Monday New Year's Day (LH and AH) April 13 Thursday Holy Thursday April 14 Friday Good Friday April 14 Friday Americas Day May 1 Monday Labor Day September 15 Friday Honduran Independence day October 3 Tuesday Francisco Morazan's Birthday October 12 Thursday Discovery of America Day October 21 Saturday Armed Forces' Day December 25 Monday Christmas Day (LH and AH) American Holidays - 1995 DATE DAY OF THE WEEK HOLIDAY January 16 Monday Martin Luther King's Birthday February 20 Monday President's Day May 29 Monday Memorial Day July 4 Tuesday Independence Day September 4 Monday Labor Day October 9 Monday Columbus Day November 10 Friday Veteran's Day November 23 Thursday Thanksgiving Day D. BUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE 1. Transportation: Three international airports serve the capital, Tegucigalpa, the commercial center San Pedro Sula, and the coastal city of La Ceiba. Passenger and air freight services are reliable and efficient. Three gateway cities (Houston, Miami, and New Orleans) are only 2 1/2 hours (flying time) from Honduras. Direct flights between Honduras and cities in North and Central America are provided by the following international airlines: American, Continental, COPA, LACSA, IBERIA, and TACA. Isle a Airlines, a domestic air carrier, connects Tegucigalpa with the north coast and the Bay Islands. Charter service and aircraft rentals (small single- and twin-engine equipment) are available from private flying services operating out of Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, and La Ceiba. Taxi service is adequate in downtown areas of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, but some drivers pick up as many passengers as possible along the way. Taxis can be hard to find in some residential areas. Major hotels and the airport in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula have a fleet of cabs that charge two to three times the normal rates. Taxis are not metered, so negotiate the fare first. Rental cars are available and taxis can be hired on a daily or hourly basis. 2. Language: Spanish is the official language of Honduras. A large number of Honduran professionals and businesspeople speak English and many high government officials and private sector leaders were educated in the United States. 3. Communications: Telephone service is adequate. Direct-dial, long-distance calling within Honduras and to the U.S. and several other countries is available. 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. Worldwide telephone service offers good connections. Telegraph service is available to all parts of the world at a rate of L.70 (.9 cents) per word, including name and address. An urgent telegram costs L1.40 (.18 cents) per word. Radio reception is satisfactory. U.S.-style music is featured on several stations, but news is exclusively in Spanish. A good shortwave radio is necessary to receive American stations and international broadcasts including the Voice of America (VOA). The United States Information Service has schedules and program information. Five local TV stations can be seen in Tegucigalpa, all with Spanish-language programming. Some local companies offer cable service with a wide range of stations, including major networks, CNN and entertainment-oriented stations. Six Spanish-language daily newspapers are published in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. One weekly English-language newspaper is published in Honduras. Major sources of English- language news are the Latin American air express editions of the Miami Herald, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and USA Today. They normally arrive the day of, or day after, publication. Overseas editions of Time and Newsweek are available at several news stands or by subscription. 4. Housing: Arriving visitors can choose from a number of hotels in Tegucigalpa or San Pedro Sula. In Tegucigalpa they include: the Hotel Honduras Maya, which has a coffee shop, dining room, swimming pool with pool side service, and sauna and exercise facilities; The Alameda, which has a pool, restaurant, and unisex hair styling salon; the Hotel La Ronda and Hotel Plaza San Martin both have a restaurant and coffee shop; the Hotel La Aurora offers completely furnished apartments and has a pool, restaurant and snack bar. There are also a number of bed and breakfasts available. In San Pedro Sula they include: the Copan Sula, which has a coffee shop, dining room, swimming pool with pool side service, and sauna and exercise facilities; the Gran Hotel Sula and Hotel Bolivar, which has a pool, restaurant, and unisex hair styling salon; and the Hotel Los Andes which offers completely furnished apartments and has a pool, restaurant, snack bar. 5. Climate and clothing: A distinctive characteristic of Honduras is the great diversity in the weather and topography. The northern part is basically hot and humid the whole year. The mountainous zone in the central part of the country is dryer and cooler. There are two seasons in Honduras: the rainy season from June to January and the dry season from February to May. Heavy showers fall once or twice a day during the peak of the rainy season. March and April particularly are hot and dry, with considerable smoke in the air from slash-and-burn agriculture. Summer clothing is suitable for most of the year in Tegucigalpa. Tegucigalpa's weather is tropical by day and cool in the early morning and evening. During the cooler part of the rainy season (mid-November to February) it may be chilly during the day. At this time lightweight wools and long sleeves are worn. 6. Health: Water must be boiled and filtered and often is in short supply during the dry season. Fruits and vegetables must be cleaned carefully and meats cooked well. The main health hazards include AIDS, dysentery, parasites, hepatitis, typhoid, and rabies. There have been reports of cholera as well, although not in epidemic proportions. A malaria suppressant should be taken if traveling to coastal regions for extended overnight stays.