Tourism in Panama projects positive growth at short and mid term, eventhough the fluctuations in powerful currency and the raw price.  A report from the World Tourism Organization (OMT), foresees that tourism in Panama will be around the amount of one million 500 thousand visitors in 2010. 

For this period it is predicted that tourism in Panama will contribute about one thousand 600 million dollars to the countries economy.  The view of tourism in Panama is a profitable glimpse, due to this there are new politics in its favor.  The investments directed to tourism in Panama, receive benefits as an incentive.

As a country of normal, secure and amicable tourism in Panama has an elevated index.  Francesco Frangialli, secretary of the (OMT), pointed out that the growth in tourism at worldwide level is around 5.7%, a figure considered to be “very good”. Tourism in Panama of the sun and the beach is longed for by foreigners for vacationing and by investors because it provides flattering dividends.

Tourism in Panama was not a strong destination until the middle of 2004 when a series of local and international events developed publicizing it at a worldwide level.  The boom of tourism in Panama is also attributed to the coordinated promotion of tourism that the private and state sector performs.

To provide a response to the growth of tourism in Panama, 25 hotel projects were approved under Law 74, which indicates a boom directed from tourism in Panama. The hotel sector predicts that tourism in Panama will be duplicated in the following 7 years. 

The growth of tourism in Panama is attributed to the registered increase in investments. Reports from Comptrollers office revealed that the hotel sector registered a growth of 22.2 %, product of the high index for tourism in Panama. In the same way the unemployment index has registered a decrease due to tourism in Panama.

Tourism in Panama, also reaches picturesque points from the interior located in the provinces of Cocle, Colon, Los Santos, Veraguas, Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí. Tourism in Panama has generated investments for projects such as the Nikki Beach Playa Blanca Hotel, the addition of the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Hotel Caracol and others. 

In this group of approved hotels alone, tourism in Panama produce an investment of around 391 million 417 thousand 108 dollars.  Statistics show that tourism in Panama is also increasing with visitors coming from the European continent, since they reach an estimate of 87,356 tourists annually. 

The arrival of that tourism in Panama, benefits many sectors.  Projections reveal that each stranger that does tourism in Panama has an average expense of approximately 700 dollars. That growth in tourism in Panama has generated modifications of some airlines among those is KLM from the Netherlands which is consolidating negotiations and alliances. 

Carl Fredrik Norstrom, sub manager of IPAT, acknowledged that the opening of new aerial frequencies is of vital importance to guarantee the places in the demand of tourism in Panama. Strategies directed to increasing tourism in Panama gave origin to a shared code agreement between KLM and COPA airlines.  This will permit the users of both airlines to travel using a network of routes that these companies offer, guaranteeing a larger volume of tourism in Panama.

In this sense, the country is prepared for that “boom” of tourism in Panama with the expansion of the Panama – Colon Highway, new local airports and trained human resources. In our country there is a “magnet” phenomenon, people who arrive to do tourism in Panama and later return to establish their residence; because of this tourism in Panama is a bridge fro immigrants.