The Panamanian Tourism Authority has decided to contract advertising spots directly in order to promote the country internationally.
From next April, when the contract with the agency BB & M expires, the tourist agency will directly handle the $6 million advertising budget to be spent advertising spots for international promotion campaigns.
"The decision to contract directly and not create a public tender was justified by the administrator of the ATP, Solomon Shamah." I BB & M did the campaign, now what we need is to buy the air time and space for commercials and advertisements", he said. Each advert (six in total) had a production cost of $80 thousand and shows different attractions in Panama such as the Panama Canal", reported Prensa.com.
An internet campaign developed by the Tourism Authority has meant an increase in visits to the portal Visitpanama.com, which receives on average 73,430 hits per month.
According to the manager of the Tourism Authority of Panama, Solomon Shamah, advertising and web media promotion are an important methods of attracting tourists.
"11 months ago, the ATP implemented a web based communication plan which has allowed Panama to be positioned in traveller’s minds .
The Tourism Authority of Panama has launched a campaign for the international market called "Unimos al mundo" (Uniting the world)
Salomon Shamah, the Minister of Tourism, said the campaign will invest $4 million in 2011, while for 2012 there is an estimated guideline of between $6 and $8 million.
"The marketing strategy includes five versions of television promotions in English and Spanish, which will be broadcast in the U.S., Latin America and Europe ...", noted an article in Padigital.com.pa
The Tourism Authority transferred $ 2 million to BB & M agency, completing $ 7.5 million for promotion in 2011.
"For 2010 and 2011 we had a budget of $ 12 million, from $ 39.5 million that had been established in the initial contract which was won by Publi4 in 2007 and last year the Government transferred it to BB & M," the article in Prensa.com reported.
Panama Tourism Authority (PTA) is developing two new touristic routes in the Veraguas province.
BB&M Publishing Agency will develop the advertising campaign.
Jaime Cornejo, director of the Tourism Master Plan of the Panamanian Tourism Authority, noted that in the next three months they will invest to improve the spots that will be visited by tourists and to train the inhabitants of these zones.
The campaign will feature more Internet and less television in order to attract international tourists.
According to Prensa.com, the agency "BB&M, from this year, will be in charge of developing the campaign, now that the National Tourism Council has awarded it the contract that used to be managed by Publicuatro (P4)".
Another of the Panama Tourism Authority's (ATP) key strategies is to form partnerships with major US travel agencies to promote Panama as a tourist destination for Americans.
Six prominent publicity companies have responded to the second call for bids made by the Panamanian Tourist Institute.
The companies are Azul Publicidad, BB&M, Marquez Worldwide, McCann Ericsson, Mega Publicidad and Punto Aparte.
They are interested in getting in on contracts worth 4 million balboas over the next four years in a national tourism campaign.
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