With the brand name 'Six Senses' promoters from Costa Rica have announced an initial investment of $40 million in the Caribbean coast of Panama.
The site chosen for the construction of the property is a collection of beaches located north of the province of Chiriqui, on land whose domain registration and subsequent sale to developers has been controversial.
The proceeds will pay for the costs of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Panama, an office dedicated to promoting the country as a venue for conferences and conventions.
The Tourism Authority of Panama could increase between 0.5% and 1% the lodging tax which is currently 10%.
Prensa.com reports that "the measure will be implemented in the next few months and comes from a consultation hired by the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) to transform into a public-private entity the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Panama, which will be funded with the new charge to be paid by tourists. "
The Panama Tourism Authority has set the price tag for the construction of the coastal road between Cuango and Santa Isabel, in Colon, at $18 million.
Prensa.com reports that "the clarification meeting for the best value abbreviated tender will be held June 12, and the receipt of bids is scheduled for June 21."
For its part, the Decameron Group is waiting for construction of the road in order to start its hotel project on the Atlantic coast.
Copa Airlines and the Tourism Authority of Panama have joined forces in order to position Panama as a tourist destination in countries like Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
Capital.com.pa reports that "this partnership will design a campaign entitled “Panamá Es Posible” (Panama is Possible), which will be made available online and in offline media, as well as being put into the hands of wholesalers in the region who will promote the country and its main tourist attractions through promotional packages with added value. "
The maintenance costs for berthing cruise ships have been described as excessive.
Data obtained from a byathymetry study indicates the need for an investment of between $24 and $30 million just to maintain the necessary draft for berthing cruise ships. In this area the depths are not more than 3 meters and for the construction of a cruise terminal they would have to be 10 meters.
Two weekly direct flights from the U.S. to the City of David in Panama could add to the appeal of the Chiriqui province as a tourist destination.
"The Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) is negotiating with some international operators over their ability to perform two weekly direct flights from the U.S. to the city of David, which is in addition to the promotion of tourist destinations in the province of Chiriqui", reported Prensa.com.
The Tourism Authority has destined $2.2 million to promote the country in the next edition of FITUR, from January 30 to February 3, in Madrid, Spain.
Looking to attract tourists from the European market, the Panamanian will be made up of fifteen companies representatives from the hospitality sector, tour operators, travel agencies and the airline Copa.
The Tourism Authority of Panama in the next few days will issue the tender specifications for the procurement of the company responsible for overseeing the construction of the new convention center.
Solomon Shamah, administrator of the ATP, said the documents are ready and that they will be published sometime between Friday and Monday next week.
"Yesterday the ATP gave the order to proceed to the consortium HPC-Contrata-P&V to build the new $193.7 million amphitheater which will be located on the Amador Causeway, behind the Figali Convention Center.
The largest and wildest of the Panamanian provinces holds promise for the development of ecotourism and attracting investor interest.
Well known as a jungle barrier which makes the border between Panama and Colombia virtually impassable, Darien is a protected area and a national park that was globally recognized as a World Heritage site in 1981.
UNESCO declared the park a Biosphere Reserve for Humanity and in 1983, it was named in the reserve category of biodiversity due to its extraordinary biodiversity and genetic value and because it is home to indigenous tribes that still live there and practice their ancestral customs.
The Tourism Authority of Panama and the consortium HPC-Contrata-P&V have signed a contract for the construction of the Convention Center on the Amador Causeway in Panama City.
HPC-Contrata-P&V is comprised of the companies Soluciones Arquitectónicas (Costa Rica), Heliopol (Spain), Quality Construction (Puerto Rico) y P&V (Panama), its representative, Jairzon Hurtado.
The Mexican construction firm ICA has pointed to defects in the bidding process in the selection of the builder for the Amador Convention Center.
Now the State Procurement Directorate has five working days to resolve the complaint that has been lodged.
The company that filed the complaint alleges that the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) "published and called for the participating companies in act of opening financial bids without first making the three candidates public.
The consortium HPC-Contrata-P&V obtained a technical score of 66 points, compared to 46 and 41 of ICA and Odebrecht, offering to build the Convention Center in Panama for $194 million.
The long awaited opening of envelopes containing the financial proposals of the bidders in the tender for the construction of the Convention Center on the Amador Causeway, in the capital of Panama, has finally taken place.
The Tourism Authority (ATP) has awarded a contract to the consultation company Consulting Inc. and Business Tourism Services (BTS), with the aim of reforming the present Bureau of Conventions.
With the reform of the current Bureau authorities are counting on an increase in the arrival of conventions in the country and in this way increase the number of tourists.
The Panama Tourism Authority has announced that a tender process for the new Convention Center in Amador will be held on August 24.
From a statement by the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP):
The tender for the new Convention Center in an area of 11 hectares in Amador will be held on August 24.
From 10 am until 1:00 pm in the Portobelo Room of the ATLAPA Convention Center, proposals will be accepted from companies participating in the event.
The $150 million valuation of the Convention Center in Panama has been excessive by the authorities, who have requested a downward revision in order to speed up its sale.
The Minister of Tourism in Panama, Solomon Shamah has described the price resulting from an appraisal conducted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance as "excessive".
According to an article in Elsiglo.com, "Shamah said the Ministry of Finance gave a valuation of approximately $150 million for the sale of ATLAPA, but that seems too much, so they have asked for it to be revised so that it can be sold. ‘Once we have the new building, ATLAPA is not going to be used and Panamanians ought to have that money now for social projects and infrastructure’, he added. It has been announced that on July 11 the conditions for the tender for the design and construction of a new convention center will be published.”