During the 1980s Nicaragua was the destination of choice in Central America for young, socialist-minded internacionalistas foreign volunteer workers who came to the country to aid the Revolution by working in the education and health sectors. From 1996 onwards, the Alemán government discontinued many of the programs that brought the internacionalistas to Nicaragua and tourism slumped, which was bad news for the country's hotel owners and tour operators. Recent years, however, have seen tourist numbers increase as part of the general upturn in interest in Central America.

In comparison with the Maya ruins of Guatemala or the national parks of Costa Rica, Nicaragua offers few traditional tourist attractions - almost no monuments or ancient temples remain, and earthquakes, revolution and war have laid waste to museums, galleries and theaters. For years the country has suffered from a chronic lack of funding, and high inflation