In a fair held in Guangzhou, more than 200 business appointments were held between tourist entrepreneurs in Panama and buyers and travel agencies in the Asian country.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama:
The Tourism Authority and 9 companies certified with the seal of quality, which presented Panama as a modern country, with excellent infrastructure for congresses and conventions, air connectivity and tourist sites, managed to arrange more than 200 appointments, during the three days of exposition and business negotiations, at the Travel Fair in the province of Guangzhou, China.
In Panama companies dedicated to the activity are complaining about the absence of a state policy or strategy to help promote the country as a destination for medical tourism at the international level.
Although Panama has all the necessary characteristics to make it a relevant market for medical tourism, a specific policy to promote the activity led by the Tourism Authority could encourage much more development of the activity in the country."...'The only disadvantage Panama has as a destination for medical tourism is that this sector has not been recognized by the state as a tourist product or a real feature of its organizational infrastructure,' said Luis Santamaría, general director of Panasalud S.A., to Prensa.com."
Private companies and the municipality of Panama City are developing a plan to offer tourist activities in the capital to passengers who are in transit through Tocumen airport.
While tourism and hotel operators are still looking for alternatives to improve the sector's sluggish figures, the municipality of Panama intends to develop a plan that encourages passengerswho are waiting for connections at Tocumen airport to go out and visit some tourist attractions in the city. Routes related to religious tourism, others focused on the history of Panamanian athletes who are famous worldwide and thematic shows that show how life was during different periods of Panamanian history, are some of the ideas that have been suggested so far.
A $20 million contract has finally been approved for the company VML Inc. to develop a marketing and communication strategy to promote the country internationally.
The implementation of the international tourism promotion campaign will take place between 2016 and 2018, and will consist of a comprehensive promotion strategy, both online and using traditional advertising, public relations and trade marketing (activations) to promote Panama internationally.
Participating for the first time are Nicaragua and the United Arab Emirates as exhibitors, and buyers will be coming from Germany, Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Italy, Colombia and Sweden, and other places.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (CCIAP):
International Tourism Expo, in its seventh version, will feature more than 150 exhibition booths, which will be displaying to national and international companies, working in different areas of tourism, in 3,000 m2 of the Atlapa Convention Center in the exhibition which will be held on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 May.
While hotel occupancy continues to fall, the tourism authorities are still reviewing the conditions for tendering international tourism promotion, pending since 2013.
Although a spokespeople for the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) say they have maintained tourism marketing efforts through other tactics such as presence in international fairs, the tender to hire an advertising agency to be responsible for international promotion has not yet been published. Last year the ATP had said that would be announced in the first quarter of 2015, "... but it is now scheduled for the second half of the year, with the selected company being responsible for promotion from 2016 to 2019."
In order to achieve maximum growth potential and position themselves as a major destination in the region, it is imperative to update the Master Plan for Tourism, developed in 2007.
In the view of tourism enterprises, some of the factors that need to be strengthened are related to the creation of a plan to boost tourism products, work with indigenous regions to boost tourism in these areas, update sector priorities and above all to create the concept of clusters, "... conglomerates which form a more integrated tourist circuit."
In coordination with the guild of private companies the Tourism Authority of Panama has announced the beggining of the international campaign "Vive Panamá".
At a meeting between government officials and companies in the sector strategies and development plans for the tourism industry in the medium term were reviewed.
The manager of the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP), Jesus Sierra Victoria, reported that for November the ATP will bring forward the campaign "Vive Panamá" which begins on the 1st and ends on the 31st, with offers for tourists, including dining and shopping .Tourists will receive personalized attention at airports with information on tourist sites in Panama, he added.
The government announced that it will construct the stations at 80 kilometer intervals along the Pan American Highway and they will feature restaurants, parking and small stores.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP):
PANAMA September 25 (ATP) - The Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) has developed a series of initiatives such as tourist resorts along the Pan American Highway, informed the Administrator of the institution, Jesus Sierra Victoria during the XIV International Tourism Forum PANAMCHAM, which took place at the Sheraton hotel.
The Chamber of Tourism and the Tourism Authority of Panama have presented a tourism promotion strategy to increase the number of visitors during November.
From a statement by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP):
With the support of the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP), the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama and CAMTUR have presented a tourism strategy to boost the tourism sector.
According to tourism businesses in Panama, eliminating benefits for this segment of the touristic market will hurt an activity which contributes $300 per day per tourist.
The Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) stated in Panamanian media that "... from January, the rental of Atlapa Convention Center will not be free for anyone" ... claiming that it costs money both for the State and the authority responsible for tourism.
The event held at the Atlapa convention center on September 26th and 27th will bring together wholesale companies from Europe, America and Asia with tourism companies from Panama and the region.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP):
(Panama, June 17, 2014). Over 150 wholesale operators from America, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean who have great interest in tourism in Panama, will meet in the fifth edition of the INTERNATIONAL TOURISM EXPO, to be held on 26 and 27 September.
What is needed is simple and effective governments that put an end to the bureaucracy that limits the integration of tourism in the region.
So says Epaminondas Marinakys, president of the Federation of Tourism Chambers of Central America (FEDECATUR). The official believes that the governments of the region must adjust their border rules in order to expedite the passage of tourists from one place to another.
The advantages offered by the country for more than 20 million surfers worldwide, makes the sport as a key ingredient in tourism development.
Among the advantages of this tourism generating sport is the fact that it does not require much infrastructure in order to start generating revenue, what really counts is the impact of the waves, which is a natural resource.
Tourism statistics are growing, and in order to ensure further growth it is necessary to focus on markets other than the traditional markets of the U.S. and Europe, specifically in Latin America.
The flow of tourism in Panama has been growing significantly in recent years, the U.S. and Europe being the major emitters.
However, the situation experienced by the economies of the U.S.