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In the News from Panama

Panama Will Get China Tourism Boost

A new deal with one of China’s largest tourism sites will promote the beauty of Panama to the world’s largest travel market.

The Tourism Authority of Panama and Tongcheng International Travel Services agreed to a promotional agreement to feature Panama on the company’s main website, Ly.com, according to coverage in El Capital Financiero. LY is one of the leading sites in China for booking travel, vacations, hotels, corporate trips and travel guides for potential customers.

The deal calls for the promotion of the VisitPanama brand and development of marketing opportunities. “Both parties also committed to explore regional collaboration and build a cooperation mechanism” to develop mutually beneficial campaigns, according to the paper.

The Tourism Authority will provide training, marketing trips and seminars to Tongcheng to help the effort. Tongcheng has more than 200 offices and works with more than 500 million travelers, according to a statement.

The deal is the latest move to increase tourism connections between Panama and China, which will expose Panama to a vast new audience. A few weeks ago, Pres. Juan Carlos Varela led a delegation to inaugurate the Panama pavilion at the International Import Expo, as part of a move to promote tourism and advertise the big projects in development. The list includes the new convention center and cruise port on the Amador Causeway and the expansion of the Tocumen airport.