Who went: The delegation was led by Marcos Medina, the vice minister for international tourism. He was standing in for Daniella Cabello, the minister. She is still the official behind the push, and the point about her being on the U.S. sanctions list still applies.
What they pitched: Medina gave a destination presentation to industry professionals and investors. They promoted travel packages sold through Venetur, the state-run tourism network.
Who they met: The delegation held business meetings with tour operators, international agencies and digital content creators. The stated goal was to bring in foreign currency.
What they say they got: The ministry says it reached agreements to advertise on North American platforms and set up training partnerships to international standards. It also says investment opportunities were channelled through Venezuela’s diplomatic mission in Washington.
What’s missing: Every account I found comes from Venezuelan state outlets: AVN, RNV, MIPPCI and Radio Mundial. I couldn’t find independent reporting that confirms those deals or names the partners.
They’re recruiting creators. The government is openly courting influencers and content creators to sell the country to Americans. Meanwhile, the U.S. still says “reconsider travel", and the flagship attraction, Angel Falls in rural Bolívar, is in a “do not travel” zone.
Packages run through the state. Tourists buying Venetur packages are paying a government network. That’s worth raising for readers.
video courtesy of premionaciona de tourism
