Last year almost 228,000 visitors from Europe came to the country, 8% more than the figure recorded in 2016.
The European airlines that increased passenger revenue in 2017 were: Iberia, with a total of 69,381 passengers, some 9,501 more than in 2016, with a growth of 15.9%; and KLM, with a total of 55,519 passengers, about 2,044 more than in 2016, an increase of 3.8%.
Air France has announced that from April 2018 it will operate two flights per week between Paris and San José on a permanent basis.
"...The airline reported this decision after resuming direct flights to Costa Rica on November 2.On that occasion they indicated that the service (weekly flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays) would be maintained until the end of March of 2017."
From November 2 Air France will be operating direct two frequencies per week between France and Costa Rica.
From 2 November the airline will fly directly twice a week until the end of March 2017, using a Boeing 777-300, with a capacity of 468 seats - 14 inBusiness, 32 inPremium Economyand 422 inEconomy.
From November 2 Air France will be operating two flights per week between the French capital and the international airport of San Jose, Costa Rica.
The flights will be operated on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with flight AF340 departing Paris Charles De Gaulle airport at 13:45 and arriving in Costa Rica at 18:10 the same day. Flight AF431 will leave Juan Santamaria Airport at 20:40 and arrive in Paris at 13:50 the next day.
Air France will increase to six the number of flights per week between France and Tocumen International Airport, starting from November 2015.
The growth in demand in Europe, coupled with the success of the agreement between the French airline and the government of Panama to subsidize flights explain part of the airline's decision to raise the number of flights per week it will operate from November 2015 to six.
The German airline has announced it will be ready to start operating direct flights to Panama City starting January 2015.
Adding to the interest of other European airlines and responding to the increasing number of German tourists entering Panama, Lufthansa has notified the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP ) that it is able to start direct flights to Tocumen airport in January 2015 and is looking to finalize the respective agreement under process.
The agreement will allow Air France to start three weekly direct flights between the capitals of the two countries in November.
Elsiglo.com reports: "The agreement was signed by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, from France, and Panamanian Foreign Minister, Fernando Nunez Fabrega at the Palace Quai D'Orsay in Paris, home of the French Foreign Ministry, as part of the tour that the Panamanian foreign minister is conducting in Europe ".
Connectivity to the European market will increase with three direct flights per week between Charles de Gaulle and Tocumen airports.
The fact that Air France is including the country in its plans, will cost the PanamaTourism Authority $4.5 million, an amount which it will pay for three years.
The flight will run three times a week and will start in late 2013, with the possibility of adding a fourth flight in 2014.
"... The operation will change the way people get to Europe via Panama, not only for Panamanians, but also for all Latin Americans", reported Prensa.com.
"In February the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) signed a memorandum of understanding with its French counterpart, a document which allows the arrival of airlines from the European country to Panama".
This was stated by the French Ambassador in Costa Rica, Fabrice Delloye, at a meeting in held in the town of Jacó.
French businessmen and their government expressed their interest of cooperating and investing in developing renewable energy sources, and participating in the electric train project.
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