Businessmen from the Panamanian tourist sector welcome the arrival of Air China flights in March 2018, but consider it will be a challenge to attract a type of tourist that seems to prefer very different destinations than those offered by Central America.
In a region which for many years has specialized in serving North American tourists and more recently Europeans, preparing to provide the attention demanded by tourists from China will be a challenge, according to the Panamanian tourism entrepreneurs themselves.
Using the Pura Vida Wellness concept, Costa Rica intends to take advantage of a global market valued at $563 billion, with tourists whose average spending exceeds 130% of global average tourist spending.
The aim of the Costa Rican Institute is to develop this segment, which has great market potential, in order to diversify and consolidate the country's tourism supply.Global wellness tourism grew by 11% between 2013 and 2015, according to data from Global Wellness Tourism Economy.
Between January and June 2015 general tourist spending grew by 14% compared to 2014, with the number of travelers arriving from Central America growing by 30% .
A report by the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) reveals that in the first six months of this year, visitors who were in Panama spent $1.909 billion, an average of $10.5 million per day.
The report said that between January and June the number of visitors to Panama reached 1,334,255, of which 78.5% were tourists (who stayed at least one day and less than 12 months), 13.8% cruisers, and 7.6% Day visitors, those who remainede in the country for less than 24 hours.
Tourism companies have denounced underspending in the budget for international promotion of the country and assert that the official figures for hotel occupancy are not real.
Industry representatives argue that the hotel occupancy rate published by the Tourism Authority merely represents a sample of some large hotels in the capital ", while data from hotels in the interior of the country are not even taken into account in the statistics.
Summary of laws that encourage tourism investment in Panama, and procedures to follow to get the related tax benefits.
From the website of the Tourism Authority of Panama:
Laws on Incentives for Tourism Investment
In recent years, Panama has seen a boom in the tourism sector; coupled with the development of economic policies which promote investment across the country.
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.
Despite the downturn in the major economies, more and more tourists traveling the globe are looking for the kind of experiences that Central America has to offer.
The opportunities are there. Demand for tourist destinations such as the ones Central America can offer is firm and is increasing every year.
What is essential is that the quality of tourism services on offer be increased, particularly ensuring that tourists are not affected by the criminal violence that pervades the region.
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.