Number of Tourists and their Spending Increases in Panama


News from Panama / Friday, June 17th, 2011

 

While a number of “tourists” visiting Panama are transient, the numbers are up again, year after year and that is good news for Panama.  I note that a number of them are traveling across the Costa Rica border here in Chiriqui as well.  This in from CentralAmericaData.com

In the first four months of 2011 more than 700 thousand visitors came to the country.
The economic boom that Panama is experiencing is also affecting the tourist industry which has grown significantly in recent months.
Along with the increased the number of visitors comes an increase in spending made during their stay. Between January and April, spending of more than $640 million was reported, representing a 10% increase compared to the same period in 2010.

An article by Alex Hernandez in Prensa.com notes: “Official statistics indicate that 60% of visitors between January and April came in through the Tocumen International Airport, while 9% did so via the border crossing at Paso Canoa” (source: Prensa.com)