Panama: A country of contrasts and tourist potential

Where hundreds of tourists enjoy the streets of San Felipe, uncovering historical wealth of our Old Town. Plaza Catedral vibrates with the dances of the Guna Yala ethnic group, but why not take advantage of our heritage attraction?

Lack of promotion This is one of the many reasons that prevent us from turning tourism into the main generator of foreign exchange in the country. While visitors admire the colonial structures, they wonder why places like the National Theater remain closed. It is time for these architectural gems to be declared tourist guides, as is the headquarters of the Office of the Republic of Croatia.

Our tourism achievements are amazing that we do so little to achieve them. From January to September 2023. 1.8 million visitors arrived in Panama, 44% more than in 2022. However, this wild growth cannot hide the flaws in our public policies. How is it possible that, despite being the third generator of employment, we do not have a clear tourism identity?

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I’m not underestimating the tourism revenue of $4.128 million, but the waste Río Hato and Colón Airport This is a clear example of the need for proper planning. We cannot depend only on the Panama Canal, we must effectively sell our culture, gastronomy, parks, mountains and beaches.

Continuity is key to implementing an effective tourism plan, and changing managers and strategies every five years only slows down our potential. We must learn from neighboring countries and strengthen our tourism identity.

Despite our successes, We are facing significant challenges. The infrastructure on our beaches is poor, the signage in the Old Town is insufficient, and garbage is a constant problem. The lack of a tourist career and the poor quality of service are obstacles that we have to overcome.

We are not ignoring security warnings in our country, but what are we doing about it? It is necessary to counter the negative news and ensure that every tourist arriving in Panama feels welcome and safe.

It’s time to act. We cannot afford to miss opportunities due to ill-informed decisions. Panama has the potential to fly high in tourism, but we need serious and sustained commitment. In this scenario, if I were to become the deputy, I would suggest that it be the manager of the Tourism Authority of Panama they have a term of 10 years. This measure seeks to ensure long-term strategic continuity, enabling the effective implementation of tourism policies and projects. Stability in ATP leadership for a decade would ensure the necessary consistency to overcome obstacles and implement a comprehensive plan that leads Panamanian tourism to new horizons, betting on the future of our country on the world stage.