Venezuela: Why are numbers of tourists so low?

El-nacional reported:
International Confusion
Although Chávez and his policies are an attraction for some, other aspects of his ‘Bolivarian revolution’ created a problem for tourists. Controls to prevent Venezuelans invest abroad mean that the official exchange rate for foreigners coming to U.S. dollars is low. A sandwich and a bottle of water in a cafe in Caracas costs about $ 25 at the official exchange rate. There has also been critical to the government’s tourism strategy. July Arnaldes, chairman of the country’s tourism, Conseturismo, complains of what he describes as the constant change of slogans, images, concepts and government markets, which in his opinion only generate distortion and confusion in the international market. The government, meanwhile, blamed the international media for their inability to attract more visitors. ‘There is an international network says that Venezuela is unsafe, unstable, dangerous,’ said earlier this year the Minister of Tourism, Alejandro Fleming. Read Article