Gloria de León Zubieta: Panama’s participation at FITUR 2027 with the ICCA Congress is a key institutional milestone

What is Panama’s international positioning strategy, and which market niches is it focusing on?

Our international positioning strategy promotes Panama as a destination offering authentic experiences, where exceptional biodiversity and the heritage of our living cultures intertwine with world-class adventure and gastronomy, thereby creating a tourism offering with its own distinct identity and a strong sense of local authenticity.

The promotional and marketing activities we carry out focus on niches with a proven track record and others that are growing rapidly. MICE tourism is at the heart of our strategy. It leads to longer stays, higher average spending and a direct impact across the entire tourism industry, and is underpinned by our geographical location, modern convention centres and the region’s most extensive air network, with connections to over 80 destinations via Tocumen International Airport.

The cruise sector is also of paramount importance to the country, following Royal Caribbean’s decision to operate from the Port of Colón until April 2027, which consolidates Panama’s position as a competitive home port in the Caribbean. Added to this are high-value niche markets, such as kosher tourism, nautical tourism and our culinary offering, with our country boasting the only UNESCO-designated Creative City of Gastronomy in Central America, and is developing a distinctive offering for specialist audiences.

What other projects do you have in the pipeline to boost visitor numbers in 2026?

The Panama Stopover programme, in partnership with Copa Airlines, aims to attract 250,000 visitors by 2026 through 3-, 5-, 7- and even 15-day itineraries that combine nature, culture, history and gastronomy. It is one of our main platforms for turning a stopover into an extended visit.

Added to this is the Tourist Insurance scheme, a free insurance cover for international visitors, which will be up and running in time for FITUR 2027 and will strengthen Panama’s position as a destination offering genuine guarantees for travellers.

On the commercial front, the micro-targeting campaign serves as our strategic initiative for direct engagement with the sales channel. More than 2,500 agencies operating in markets across Latin America and Europe, including Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy, among other destinations. The initiative is complemented by digital campaigns aimed at European consumers, through strategic partnerships with airlines, online sales platforms and international wholesalers.

With this framework of programmes, niche attractions and commercial initiatives, Panama aims to attract between 3.1 and 3.2 million international visitors in 2026.

What were your figures at the start of the year?

Panama kicked off 2026 with its best-ever start to the tourist season. In just three months, the country welcomed one million international visitors, representing year-on-year growth of 17.3% and an economic impact of over 2,000 million balboas (around 1.75 billion euros).

Among the initiatives driving this growth, the Panama Stopover programme stands out, as it allows transit passengers to extend their stopover for up to 15 days at no extra cost. For the European traveller, this extension makes Panama a destination in its own right, rather than just a transit hub.

 What are the most important source markets for your country, and where do Spain and Europe as a whole rank in your preferences?

Panama operates on the basis of a list of ten priority markets. Regional demand accounts for the bulk of the volume, with the United States, Colombia, Mexico and the Central American markets among the most significant sources, owing to their geographical proximity and the strength of our aviation hub. Brazil is being added as a strategic priority this year.

Europe plays a different role. It does not compete in terms of volume, but it leads to longer stays, higher average spending and diversification of our visitor base. Spain occupies a leading position on this map of Europe. Not only because of the direct travellers it sends, but also because of the role it plays as a cultural and commercial gateway to the rest of the continent.

We are working in several areas to maintain this position. We are strengthening our network of local agencies and wholesalers through our active micro-targeting campaign, which is already operating in Spain, as well as in Germany and France. We maintain an ongoing programme of trade missions, sales tours and channel training in key markets in southern Europe. And we are capitalising on our linguistic and cultural affinity with Spain to promote experiences that combine nature, gastronomy, colonial heritage and direct connections from Madrid to the whole of the Americas.

What did Panama’s participation in the latest edition of FITUR mean for the country?

Panama’s participation in FITUR 2026 consolidated our presence at one of the most high-profile events for Ibero-American tourism and strengthened the destination’s commercial agenda in strategic markets across Europe and Latin America.

During the trade event, 34 Panamanian businesspeople held 1,071 business meetings over three days, a result that reflects the national industry’s ability to sustain a high volume of negotiations at the fair. The institutional team from PROMTUR Panama and the Panama Tourism Authority held more than 40 strategic meetings with airlines, wholesalers, OTAs, tour operators, specialist media and data intelligence companies, with a focus on exploring new connectivity partnerships and promoting the destination to key decision-makers.

Panama’s stand served as a brand experience platform, combining world-class cuisine, tastings of Geisha coffee – one of the most highly regarded in the world – and immersive technology featuring virtual tours and displays of our living culture, which transported visitors to the beautiful landscapes of our country.

What are your expectations for FITUR 2027?

For FITUR 2027, we are working on a more extensive programme. Panama will be arriving in January next year with the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) as a key institutional milestone, positioning us as a world-class meetings destination to promote to the European market. We hope to capitalise on this track record by securing new trade agreements, establishing a stronger presence in European wholesalers’ programmes, raising the destination’s profile and boosting tourist numbers from Spain, which is why we are delighted to be taking part.