The Tourism Authority has submitted a project that consists of incentives for the construction of infrastructure and development of small businesses.
The project was submitted to the Ministry of Economy and Finances (MEF, acronym in Spanish) for proper consideration and the next administration will compose the definitive text.
Roberto Gonzalez interviews the general administrator of the Panamanian Tourism Authority, Ruben Blades, in his article in Prensa.com: "Should the text be approved, infrastructure construction will be incentivated through fiscal credits of up to 75% of the project, as long as the project is recommended by the Master Tourism Plan.”
In January 2009, the arrival of tourists to Panama grew by 11.7% over the same month last year.
The increase in tourists, in turn, meant an increase in foreign currency earnings of 15.9% compared to January 2008, according to the Tourism Authority of Panama.
Nacion.com published: "Reuben Blades, Minister of Tourism, reminded everyone that the traditional visitor coming to Panama is from the United States and Canada just like its neighbors Costa Rica and Colombia. Now the country wants to focus its efforts on attracting European tourists 'because of the Euro' and because 'they stay for a longer period of time (between 15 and 28 days),' according to Blades."
A total of 12 farms received certificates to offer agro-tourism services after completing the Agricultural Good Practices (BPA).
Minister Olmedo Espino pointed out that the activity is a great alternative for farmers and highlights the effort made by both entities for the agro-tourism development of Panama, but above all, because it offers economic benefits and provides incentives for ecological preservation.
The "Master Plan" should become the main tourism development tool in Panama in the next 12 years.
Along with the Tourism Law, the new offices of the institution and the publicity campaign, the preparation and execution of a Master Plan for Tourism was one of the strategic objectives established by the Ruben Blades administration of the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP).
The Tourism Authority (ATP) has proposed the used of floating hotels on the coast of the Kuna Yala region, as an alternative for the development of tourism services in the area.
"When we say floating hotels we mean hotel ships, such as cruise ships, where tourism can obtain all the services they receive at a hotel. They would sleep there and unboard to go on tours, to get to know the culture, buy souveneirs, eat, or enjoy the beaches and surrounding areas," the Administrator of the ATP, Ruben Blades, clarified.
The tourism sector will ask the Minister of Health that he not certify the rule calling for the vaccination of travels for yellow fever depending on their origin or destination.
Travelers originating or destined for some 40 countries labeled by the WHO as "having the risk of yellow fever" will have to present a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever.
Minister of Tourism, Ruben Blades, will travel to Berlin, London, and Amsterdam shortly in order to negotiated more flights to Panama.
To date, they have reached out to Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa and KLM. KLM has been offering direct flights to Panama from Amsterdam since March and will increase the frequency to 5 flights per week in December. "They hope to reach 7 per week," added Blades .
The Minister of Tourism, Ruben Blades, indicated that they are working on a "law to facilitate tourism investment."
He said that it is not a modification of Law 8 from 1994 which offers tax incentives for tourism investment.
On the other hand, the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) is working on the regulations for the Tourism Law and includes such things as determining what is the fine or punishment for violating said law, Blades said.
The ministries of tourism for Panama and Costa Rica are considering a joint effort to provide travel packages aimed at the European market.
The packages are still at the planning stage. The two governments are analyzing the feasibility of the project through market studies.
The next planning meeting will take place in Panama in August. The private sector from both countries will be represented at the meeting.
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.
More than 1.5 million tourists will arrive in Panama during 2008, an increase of about 20 percent, according to Rubén Blades, Panama's Minister of Tourism.
Blades told a meeting of the Association of Press Correspondents in Panama that the impressive growth rate requires that the country speed up its expansion of services and production to meet the growing demand.
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