Reaping Silver Tourism

While we focus our energy on various things tourism edges faltering few fruitsAfter a brief analysis, it would be worthwhile to direct our efforts towards senior tourism to multiply the weak numbers of the Isthmus future.

This was the conclusion of our approach at the round table, highlighting the theme “Building an inclusive future with opportunities for all generations” during the Ibero-American Forum Silver economy held last week at headquarters Latin American Parliament.

With more than 30 exhibitors, 500 in-person visitors from 22 countries and 10,000 virtual spectators, an event ingeniously designed and organized by the creative mind of a brilliant gal, dr. Arletty Pinel, was stalking the promotion silver economy as a generator of collaborative property and economic revitalization.

She was the moderator of our round table Architect and urban planner Jorge Isaac Perén, President of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA) and as speakers Ian Spero, founder of the Agile Aging Alliance (United Kingdom); Luis Luengo, founder of Rural Innovation Hubs (Spain) and the undersigned.

Below is a summary of my local argument: At the end of the last century, in the absence of sufficient accommodation to meet the goals of the tourism revival and as a result of generous legislation, the market for real estate investors experienced the greatest boom in our country. history, elevating our capital to third place in the number of skyscrapers on the continent, just behind New York and Chicago.

During the first decade of the century, foreign investors flocked to our country like bees in a honeycomb and many of them acquired luxury real estate, and a significant number even chose Panama as a place for permanent retirement or a second home. We can still observe this group, although its quantity is no longer so abundant, especially in the corridors of the Chirica Mountains, Pacific Riviera, southern tip of the Azuero Peninsula and covers of capitals.

Due to lack of will, action and lack of political priority, our national and tourism authorities did not take advantage of the moment to consolidate this ambitious initiative, eroding its shining courage, withdrawing its momentum.

We want to highlight our touristic approach to the group baby boomers, defined by people born between 1946 and 1964 in the United States, a result of the population explosion after World War II. This is the richest generation in world history, amassing $78 trillion in assets, putting the average family worth over $1.18 million, controlling 70% of disposable income in NOW.

It is impressive that 10,000 people are added to the figure of 56 million daily retirees in the United States. Even more from a tourism perspective, considering that the average American enjoys only one week of vacation per year and more limited resources, our goal should be to focus on this segment of the population. Gathered into a corpulent organization AARP American Association of Retired Persons) whose bimonthly is the third largest in circulation in the United States, with more than 35 million subscribers and 38 million members, is becoming a solid medium for advertising our tourism, complementing efforts with an active presence at the annual convention and multiple regional meetings to highlight our attractions. Let’s do Panama!