Panama received 2.5 million tourists in 2015 and double the amount of foreign income received by Costa Rica from the 2.6 million who visited that country in the same year.
The number of tourists who went to Panama in 2015 exceeded by 10.7% the amount recorded in 2014, according to the Tourism Authority of Panama. With the 2.5 million who came last year, the country is very close to matching the record of Costa Rica, which reached 2.6 million.
Almost 70% of international arrivals by air corresponded to North American visitors, followed by Europe with 16.5% and South America with 6.9%.
From a statement issued by the Government of Costa Rica:
2014 was a momentous year for the tourism industry, in which all historical records of the country in tourism were exceeded . This is demonstrated by the data provided by the General Department of Immigration (DGME) which has been analyzed by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT).
Although it is facing 2015 with optimism, Costa Rica knows that it is facing strong growth in competition from regional neighbors as a tourist destination.
Costa Rica has begun to lose its comparative advantage which it has held for many years over the rest of the region in attracting tourists. The strong competition from destinations such as Nicaragua and Panama is now creating some difficulties for the tourism industry, in whose view the country is not investing enough in promotion compared to its competitors.
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.
It is estimated that foreigners visiting the country to practice this sport stay an average of 17 days and spend $122 a day.
Ranking as the third best surfing destination in the world after Hawaii and Indonesia, Costa Rica attracts an average of 400,000 foreign surfers every year. The sporting conditions on offer at the beaches have been exploited by tourism companies, which together with the authorities carry out promotions internationally in order to promote this niche tourism market.
In the Summer Fair to be held on the 28th and 29th of March tourism companies from Latin America and the U.S. will see the country's tourism supply.
On the 28th and 29th March the second edition of the Summer Fair will be held in Nicaragua, in which tourism businesses from Latin America and the United States will get to see the tourism services on offer in the country, confirmed the National Chamber of Tourism (CANTUR).
Tourist Companies in Central America will be presenting their services and participating in business conferences from 14th to 16th of May in San Jose.
The Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (ACOPROT) will be holding on the 14th to 16th of May, the Expotur International Tourism Fair 2014. More than 300 representatives from tourism companies in Costa Rica and Central America will gather in San Jose to present their services and take part in business conferences.
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.
A plan is underway to boost medical hydrology in the north of the country, taking advantage of the tourist infrastructure and natural conditions in the area.
Entrepreneurs from San Carlos, in the northern part of the country, plan to form partnerships "with the medical community and businesses in order to build medical centers and train professionals in the health industry, said Lorena Herrera, businesswoman and team president", reported Elfinancierocr.com.
63% of wholesalers who were participants at the tourism fair held in Costa Rica were there for the first time, and 79% received at least 5 contracts during the event.
A statement from the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (ACOPROT):
Most employers signed contracts at Expotur
- Of the total wholesaler participants at Expotur 2013, 63% represented companies that had never before participated in the negotiations.
On 13 May, Costa Rican businessmen will meet at a business forum in which they will study strategies to position Costa Rica as a destination for the European market.
From a press release by the National Chamber of Tourism of Costa Rica (CANATUR):
The European region represents one of the main markets for attracting tourists to Costa Rica, which, according to figures from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), received 284,996 visitors from Europe, which means about 12% of total reported income in 2012.
The 2013 edition of Expotur is to receive 180 representatives from international companies at the Hotel Wyndham San Jose Herradura on the 9th and 10th of May.
A statement from the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (ACOPROT) reads:
Country's Main Tourism Exchange Market Prepares its XXIX Edition
- From 9th to 11th the 29th edition of Expotur will be held at the Convention Center at the Hotel Wyndham San Jose Herradura.
Go Blue Central America is an interactive map to share with the rest of the world the uniquiness and authenticity of the marine and coastal areas of Central America.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and National Geographic (NatGeo) presented "Go Blue Central America", an interactive map on the internet designed to promote tourism in the Isthmus.
Under the theme "Tourism from a New Point of View: Redefining Strategy," the Congress will be held on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 September at the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel.
A statement from the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) reads:
The future of the sector and its impact on the economy will be the pivotal axes of the National Tourism Conference.