Tourist flow to Panamanian destinations is on the rise

The number of tourists flocking to Panama’s destinations was up by 5.7 percent in the first eight months of 2002 compared to the same period the year before. Some 512,000 travelers visited the nation from January to August. Estimates for the whole year are fixed in roughly 800,000 visitors.

This nation offers such choices as tourism in cultural and ethnical areas, as well as shopping sprees at the Colon Free Trade Zone in the Atlantic coastline and tours to cities like Panama and David, the latter on the Costa Rican border.

In 2001, as many as 737,102 tourists visited Panama, a 22.8 percent increase compared to the year before when 600,169 vacationers went to the country, according to official statistics.

Panamanian authorities are conducting an international campaign –including publications in magazines and airplay in pay-TV networks- aimed at promoting the country as a new destination in the leisure industry.