Panama starts 2019 with a vision that tourism with China and WYD will be profitable

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Panama starts 2019 with a vision that tourism with China and WYD will be profitable

Tue, 01/01/2019 - 16:03

Raquel Sanchez

The intense international promotion campaign of Panama, the new alliance with China and the eve of the World Youth Day (WYD) are the key that the authorities anticipate, prop up tourism, which grew 3 percent until September 2018 despite the economic slowdown.

It is remarkable that the growth of one digit in a country accustomed to the fact that the industry without chimneys used to expand above ten percent and because that 10 percent of the gross domestic product "weighs."

This sector, which managed to take off years ago with a good step in terms of investments and multiple innovative products, aims to captivate the new markets that perceive the nation as a diverse destination.

To the traditional offer of sun and beach were added attractions such as the Coffee Circuit in the western lands of Chiriqui, a zone of grain par excellence, the opening of agroturistic farms and the expected day of mega discounts in stores, all spread through a strategy of digital marketing abroad.

It is pointed in large part to very specific markets such as Germany, Argentina, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, the United States, Spain, and France.

One of the destinations that aims to attract more travelers is China, which after the new diplomatic relations has led to the inauguration of the first direct flight of Air China that connects the cities of Beijing and Panama and obtain the Statute of Authorized Destination (EDA).

China, considered in the ranking of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) as one of the largest emitters abroad and those who spend the most, is outlined for Panama that next year 10,000 adventurers will be involved to discover the riches of the Central American nation.

According to figures from the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP), 1,821,657 visitors arrived in the country from January to September, which was reflected in a 2.8 percent decrease compared to the same period of 2017, that is, 52,206 fewer people.

As for the expenditure made during his stay in Panama, which was estimated at 3,611.3 million dollars, which meant an increase of 3.0 percent over the same period of the previous year and an absolute variation of 104.3 million of dollars.

For complete figures in 2017, 2.5 million foreign tourists arrived in the country, spending 4.451 million dollars, which represented a 5.8 percent increase with respect to 2016.

The Government's objective is to reach three million tourists in 2019, and five million in 2024.

Therefore, this year the Panamanian President, Juan Carlos Varela, signed the internal regulations of the International Tourism Promotion Fund, whose budget consists of 20 million dollars per year, to facilitate policies and projects of that sector in the country.

This plan, which is carried out in a public-private alliance, leads to the reconstruction of the tourist offer in an integral and parallel way to its international promotion, which was abandoned in previous years.

Another safe bet of occupation in all the tourist sectors in the World Youth Day, which will be from January 22 to 27 with the participation of Pope Francis.

At the beginning of the year, representatives of the Panamanian Hotel Association (APATEL) declared that this event would be a relief to the loss of more than 25,000 jobs and the low hotel occupancy that scratched at that time 45 percent.

"There are 30,000 rooms of lodging in the country to house visitors, although many of the young pilgrims will stay in houses and schools," a spokesperson for the union told ACAN-EFE.

The truth is that the country is preparing for the religious activity that awaits the arrival of half a million people, including pilgrims, priests, nuns, and journalists.

Although the investments granted to prepare the WYD, for about 45 million dollars, are questioned by a large part of the population, Panama will have only one opportunity to face the coming challenges to be recognized or not as a country that can give a renewed image to the traditional tourism of sun and beach, besides being able to handle massive encounters.

 

https://www.panamatoday.com/panama/panama-starts-2019-vision-tourism-china-and-wyd-will-be-profitable-8826