The Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT) is an entity of public law, of a permanent nature, with legal personality and its own assets, with administrative and financial autonomy with headquarters in Tegucigalpa, Municipality of the Central District.

History

The Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT) was created in 1953 during the administration of President Juan Manuel Gálvez and operated under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1962, during the presidency of Ramón Villeda Morales, it was renamed to "The Institute for the Promotion of Tourism" of a semi-autonomous nature, supervised by the Secretary of State in the Offices of the Interior, Justice and Public Security.

In 1966 the Tourism Coordinating Office was created and in 1971 the National Tourism Council was formed.

In 1972 it was renamed the Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT) and a budget of one million Lempiras was assigned to it.

In 1974 the Ministry of Culture was created, renaming itself in 1975 to the Secretary of State for the Offices of Culture, Tourism and Information.

In 1978 it was divided into two, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, while the Information Ministry became part of the Press Ministry, a dependency of the Presidency of the Republic.

In 1998 the slogan was used: "Tourism... is Everyone's company", and several Secretaries of State were established, among which the Secretary of Tourism emerged, created by Decree No.6-98 dated March 25, 1998, always preserving its autonomy and its new acronym SETUR-IHT, the IHT, ceases to be a Directorate to occupy the position of Executive Presidency, thus being elevated to the category of Secretary of State in the Tourism Office.

In 2014 the Ministry of Tourism disappears, and the Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT), becomes a Directorate dependent on the Ministry of Economic Development.

In 2018, the Ministry of Tourism and the Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT) became a Secretary of State again to date.