Nicaragua’s National Tourism Institute, INTUR, and the General Directorate of Revenue announced on September 3 a value-added tax exemption for tourism businesses running from September 12 to 20, timed to coincide with the country’s Fiestas Patrias national holiday celebrations, Travel And Tour World reported.
The exemption forms part of the National Fair of Patriotic Holidays and applies to hotels, hostels and restaurants that register for the scheme through the Electronic Tax Window, according to Travel And Tour World. Public sector workers have also been granted holidays over the same period, adding a built-in pool of domestic travellers to the incentive.
Travel And Tour World reported that this marks the sixth time Nicaragua’s tourism industry has received this type of measure from INTUR, and that the policy is designed to encourage Nicaraguan families and visitors to travel and spend during the national holiday window rather than to boost international arrivals specifically.
The timing places the incentive alongside Battle of San Jacinto Day on September 14 and Independence Day on September 15, giving domestic travellers an extended window to combine paid time off with tax-free spending on accommodation and dining.
Ometepe positioned as a slow-travel showcase
The VAT exemption lands as INTUR pushes a wider strategy built around nature-based and community tourism, with Ometepe Island singled out as a flagship destination, Travel And Tour World reported. Formed by the twin volcanoes Concepción and Maderas on Lake Nicaragua, the island offers hiking, farming visits, freshwater swimming and rural stays in communities such as Balgüe and San Ramón, according to the publication.
The outlet reported that INTUR’s 2026 strategy prioritises diversifying tourism routes and circuits around creative, cultural and community-based experiences, and that the institute completed renovation work at its Ometepe sub-delegation in Altagracia in May. INTUR’s September calendar also includes Expo Ometepe 2026, scheduled for September 25 to 27, according to Travel And Tour World.