Increased Flights Boost Panama Tourist Visitors

Increased frequency of flights by European airlines and Copa’ Airlines to and from Tocumen International have helped boost tourist visits to Panama by 4% in the first six months of the year.

Some 1.1 million tourists, mostly from South America and Europe contributed $1.212 billion to the economy an increase of 10.5% over the same period in 2012, said Secretary Economic Affairs and Competitiveness Panamanian Presidency, Kristelle Getzler.

Tocumen International Airport was the main gateway with 762,136 passing through.
According to Getzler, the increase in visitors from Europe and South America is due in the first instance, to increase frequencies on European airlines such as Iberia and KLM to Panama, and the second to COPA Airlines promotions in conjunction with the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP).

Panama has more than 16 direct daily flights to North America, more than 80 from the Caribbean, Central and South America, and daily direct flights from Europe, according to the ATP.

Gezler said, meanwhile, that specifically in June there was a 12% increase in tourist spending, which is "good because it is income that is left in the country." In addition, she said in March the movement of visitors rose 11.6%, because of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) annual meeting in Panama.

This highlights the importance of international events which will continue to for the remainder of 2013. In 2012, some 82, 281 tourists arrived for convention events, against 71,328, in 2011 according to the ATP.