Panama: More Revenue From Tourism Than From Canal


News from Panama / Monday, April 14th, 2014

From it’s beaches to it’s mountains, Panama has a world class draw that is just now getting the attention that it deserves.

The revenue generated by tourist arrivals is almost two times higher than the income received by tolls at the Canal.

The growth in the number of visitors to Panama and the amount of money they spend in the country has been so rapid that it already far exceeds the revenue generated by tolls on the Canal.

“Just five years ago, both sectors generated similar income according to the Comptroller General of the Republic. In 2009, tourists expenses generated $1.483 billion, while revenue from Panama Canal tolls totaled $1.465 billion. ”

“For this reason, the Panamanian Chamber of Tourism (Camtur), the Panamanian Association of Hotels (Apatel) and the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP), agree that public-private partnerships should be strengthened focussing on promoting Panama as a tourist destination because they are seeing results from those efforts.”