Tocumen Airport continues to be the front door for tourism. Through that air terminal 265,999 visitors entered during January and February, achieving a growth rate of 18.9%.

Experts indicate that Panamanian tourism is the most profitable in the region, ahead of countries like Costa Rica and Guatemala, since it shows the largest spending by tourists, according to Central American statistical bulletins.

The money generated by tourism activity in January and February increased by 15.8%.

Total spending by visitors who entered the country in January and February was $380 million, a total increase of $51.9 million compared to results obtained in the same period in 2011.

Hotel occupancy

These dynamic results, captured in Panama tourism during January and February, had a cascading effect on hotel occupancy.

The overall occupancy reached 63% during the first two months of the year, as a result of 294,039 of the total 466,355 rooms available being occupied.

To this figure can be added 2,096 new rooms available in the market, representing a total of 62,880 rooms available per month, due to the incorporation of hotels such as Riu, Trump Ocean Club, Westin Playa Bonita, City of Knowledge Holiday Inn and Country Inn Hilton, among others.

ATP's General Manager, Salomón Shamah, has indicated that, even with the arrival of new hotels, a challenge for modern tourism is the vital need to maintain or increase hotel occupancy rate.