News

Representatives of the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) and six Panama hotel companies have launched a road show promoting Panama in the U.S. and Europe.

The first stop was with a group of four top U.S. tour providers, according to a statement from the ATP. The goal of this tour is to “boost non-traditional destinations, most of which are located in the interior of the country.”

The tour has already hit Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston and New York in the U.S. and will soon move on to Europe, including Germany and Spain, which are “strong markets” with direct flights, according to the statement.

“There is a lot of interest in the Panamanian market for air and sea connectivity, its infrastructure and the quality of hotels,” said ATP Deputy Administrator Jennifer Champsaur.

In the U.S., the delegation met with representatives of Apple Leisure, Collette, Gate and Delta Vacations, which are among the largest tour companies in the U.S. By including hotel companies in the discussion, ATP was specifically trying to create private partnerships to help attract more visitors to Panama.

“With these companies the ATP is in the process of reaching agreements of shared publicity, which will include sale of complete packages, the exhibition of the main tourist attractions of the country in magazines and Internet pages,” according to a translation of the statement.

In addition to air connections and Panama’s traditional attractions, the group is promoting the attractions in the interior, as well as a digital campaign developed by international advertising agency VML. “This look of what we have will allow them–US tour operators–to put together different packages and not only include traditional products, because we want to boost those spectacular areas of the interior of the country,” Champsaur said.

The effort is one more sign of the renewed effort to boost tourism in Panama, which should have a long term impact on all aspects of the economy.