Apologies Plane, that was my mistake.
Professor, Nicaragua began investing in tourism around 1990. The tourism sector constitutes about 10% of the Nicaraguan economy, so don't act as if they haven't even thought of the idea. You have to remember that this nation was completely backward when the Sandinistas won the revolution in 1979. They took an absolutely uneducated population and taught them how to read. They set up a public health system from the ground up, because Somoza simply did not have one. Meanwhile, they also fought a civil war with the Contras, who were former "National Guard" members who based themselves in Honduras and took American money and made revenue from drug sales. They slaughtered rural villagers and generally spread chaos. They were terrorists.
So yeah, it was a bit difficult to get Scott and Tammi from the suburbs to plan a trip to the scenic beaches of Nicaragua when they might be killed!
It isn't excuses, it is reality. I mean, are you demanding that Afghanistan and Iraq start to focus on their tourism industry? Angola? Somalia? DR Congo? Give Nicaragua time and the right leadership and they will be well on their way. It will help if the United States can keep out of their business as well. Reagan destroyed enough lives without any new leaders having to destroy any more.