In accordance with what was reported during 2018, in the first seven months of the year Panama received 1.48 million tourists, 2% of those reported in the same period of 2017.
According to the latest figures from the General Comptroller, between January and July 2017 and the same period of this year, the number of visitors with tourist purposes who arrived in the country fell from one million 504 thousand to one million 475 thousand.
The union has reported that five months after the outbreak of the social and political crisis in Nicaragua, the country has lost about 68,000 of the 120,000 jobs generated by the sector.
The National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur) presented a report highlighting the impact of the country's social and political crisis on the tourism sector.
To learn about the tourist destination and hold business negotiations with local businesses, on September 13, 10 tour operators from Beijing will be arriving in Panama.
The Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) reported that "...this will be the first official contact with local tour operators, following authorization from the Chinese government to start commercial relations with 66 Panamanian A-type companies (tour operators) who met the requirements established after signing a Memorandum of Understanding between both nations to facilitate travel groups from China to Panama."
After the year 2017 provided the sector with income of $840 million, 31% more than in 2016, the union has carried out a new review and plans to generate up to $900 million this year.
The Honduran government will offer companies in the tourism sector loans with annual rates of 10% and terms of up to 20 years for the construction of hotels.
Authorities in the Hernandez administration announced that among the financial products that are already available in the Honduran Bank for Production and Housing (Banhprovi), are loans for small and medium-sized tourism companies for a maximum amount of $34 thousand, with a 10% annual rate, with terms of up to seven years for fixed assets, three years for working capital and a two-year grace period for fixed assets.
Last year 62,500 people arrived in the country aboard cruise ships, registering a 35% growth compared with the previous year.
Figures from the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute's Statistics Bulletin for 2016 reveal an increase in the number of tourists who arrived in the country aboard cruise ships, as well as other data relevant to the tourism sector.
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.
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.
Average daily spending per tourist fell by 13.4% compared to 2014, with average stays registered of 17 days.
From a statement issued by the Central Bank:
The Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN) has published the annual results of inbound and outbound tourism, corresponding to 2015.
According to data published by the NCBs, the per capita average daily expenditure realized by non-resident visitors who entered the country in this period was $41.5, mainly driven by spending on the part of tourists from South and North America, a result similar to 2014 ($41.8).
At the end of 2014 110 hotels were operating in the main tourist city of Nicaragua, where three new establishments plan to open to the public during the year.
Tax incentives granted by the Nicaraguan government have allowed employers in the hotel sector to increase their investment in Granada, which in 2014 received 521,000 tourists, according to figures from the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism.
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.
A bill being discussed in the National Assembly aims to promote the development of business tourism in the country.
Although business tourism is one of the fastest growing segments, not all sectors agree with this bill, because, for some, "... the country still does not have sufficient infrastructure to host these events."
Alvaro Dieguez, president of the Hotel Association of Nicaragua, told elnuevodiario.com that "...
Between January and September, 965,369 tourists arrived in the country, 7.1% more than in the same period in 2013.
From a statement issued by the investment promotion agency of Nicaragua:
Nicaragua, with a steadily growing tourism industry, received 965,369 visitors up to September this year, which is giving rise to new hotel investments, said the executive president of the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute, Intur, Mayra Salinas, yesterday after stating that "on October 21 we will probably pass the one million tourists figure. "