ATP confirms that Amador port will be ready in November

Works at Amador Cruise Port will end in mid-November this year, he assured General Manager of the Panama Tourism Authority, Ivan Eskildsen.

This Thursday, ATP held a meeting with representatives Maritime Administration of Panama (AMP), port construction company and representatives Ministry of the Presidency define the state of the port and this caused concern in the tourism sector.

“All actors are united in working towards a common goal, recognizing the great potential that tourism has for our country, but also the cruise segment that is ahead of us”, Eskildsen noted.

ATP reiterated the impact the cruise industry has on major cities like Panama and Colon.

He General Manager of the Panama Tourism Authority, Ivan Eskildsen, also held meetings with Norwegian Cruise Line. Eskildsen reiterated that he had not suspended the operation in Panama.

“It is completely untrue that the cruises have been cancelled. Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed operations until 2024, and then normal planning will follow,” Indian.

The meeting of the competent authorities is being held as a sign of dissatisfaction of the representatives of the tourism sector and the cruisers themselves due to the situation in the port of Amador.

Last December, the multinational cruise line Carnival challenged its supposed monopoly in the supply of fuel to ships coming to Panama. In a statement, Michael T. MacNamara, Carnival’s vice president of Global Fueling, warned that such a “restriction” would add complexity and increase costs to operations in the region.

The tourism sector recorded 1,945,646 international visitor arrivals in 2022, an increase of 141.9% compared to the same period in 2021. It reached a share of 8.2% in the cruise segment, achieving an increase of 439.5% compared to from 2021, according to statistics from the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP).