"You can not afford to not attend these fairs, especially one of the most important events in the realm of tourism," commented Angel Sierra, Director of Public Relations for the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP).

Panama has been present in the most recent tourism fairs with a significant work team that brings together tourist agencies, hotels, companies linked to the tourism industry and the ATP.

"It is one of the biggest stands that the isthmus has offered, and next year over 15 companies will be represented," Sierra added. Thanks to such exchanges, Panama has won the attention of many companies that contribute to making the country more attractive, both to visitors and to companies that seek a site to host their services.

The 33rd International Tourism Fair organized by IFEMA, the Trade Fair Institution of Madrid, will convene key players from the industry. The event is commonly a time to establish lines of work and the corresponding path to follow throughout the coming year.

A statement from the World Tourism Organization emphasizes the strong performance of the American Pavilion, where countries like Colombia, the United States and the Central American region are located, and whose participation confirms "the rising trend of these tourism markets, where international arrivals in 2012 grew from 5% to 7%," according to the WTO.

These conclaves open up countless opportunities for each country to promote their products and destinations, and for tour operators to obtain access to host markets. This year they will be able to make contact with representatives of hundreds of attending countries to enter into business and focus attention on their respective destinations.