Panama hoteliers are now trying to counter the impact of the high costs of air tickets, which have led to the increase in airport taxes and fuel price.Published on : Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Panama hoteliers are now trying to counter the impact of the high costs of air tickets, which have led to the increase in airport taxes and fuel price.
According to the CEO of Copa Airlines, Pedro Heilbron, the arrival of more tourists depends not only on advertising and discounts that the airlines can provide, but also on the working together of the authorities, unions and the private sector to attract visitors to take advantage of the hotel offer, which exists in the country.
The president of the Panamanian Hotel Association, Armando Rodriguez, expressed that the union is examining a proposal for working together with airlines to achieve packages that allow a greater number of visitors to the country.
Heilbron also said that these efforts speak about better service and attention’s quality, mobility and attractions, determining elements to position Panama as a competitive tourist destination.
As per the figures from the Institute of Statistics and Census, published by the Comptroller General of the Republic, at the end of 2017, the percentage of hotel occupancy was reduced by 0.9 percent, compared to the previous year.
In 2017, the Government created the International Tourism Promotion Fund (FPTI) to streamline policies, programs and projects aimed at attracting more tourists to the national territory.
According to the administrator of the ATP, Gustavo Him, the FPTI will start operating from August, and countries like Mexico, Colombia and the Dominican Republic were successful due to the fact that they are successful in promoting their tourist destinations internationally.