Iván Eskildsen: "Panama treats tourism as a state policy"

In the special programme broadcast by Atalayar from the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR), in collaboration with Europea Media, Aviación Digital and the International Press Club, we had the intervention of Iván Eskildsen, Minister of Tourism of Panama, who spoke to us about the tourist attractions that the Panamanian country has and about the new Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism (PMTS) developed by the Panamanian country.

What is expected for Panama in terms of the tourism sector?

2022 will make a significant difference for Panama in terms of its reactivation. In Panama in 2020 and 2021 we were approximately 70% less tourists compared to 2019. This year, with more than 85% of the population vaccinated, there is another perspective, the numbers for October and November show very interesting data compared to previous months and that is very positive. On the other hand, Panama for the first time in history is treating tourism as a state policy, where a Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism (PMTS) has been approved and we are now working on it. We are one of only three countries in the world that is carbon negative, so we can combine it with nature and cultural tourism and there we have a really interesting opportunity.

What would you say to a Spanish tourist who wants to visit Panama to encourage them to take the plunge?

Panama offers richness, biodiversity and ethnic diversity, a great concentration of experiences in a small territory but very easy and safe to travel through. There are everything from national parks and trails, to tours that allow tourists to soak up the history of the country, the colonial history. On the other hand, we have seven indigenous peoples, very different from each other, and all this combination of culture and nature is one of the biggest attractions of Panama. 

For a person who is unfamiliar with Panama's culture, what would you highlight about the country to convince them to travel?

There is always the Panama Canal, which is a world icon, and only 45 minutes from Panama City you can experience travelling by boat alongside the large ships that transit the canal, and at the same time there is a national park with indigenous peoples. The concentration of experiences in a small space is something wonderful, the experience of the canal combined with culture in one place.

How do you see Spain and Spanish tourists in Panama? Is there a large percentage of Spanish tourists who want to visit the country because of the culture that unites us?

Spain is one of the main markets of the Sustainable Tourism Master Plan, we received approximately 45,000 Spanish tourists last year, the figures for 2019 tell us of 69,000 Spanish tourists and we are on the way to recovering that volume before the pandemic with 6 flights a week from Iberia and 2 from Air Europa, therefore, we are well connected with direct flights.

Finally, what are your wishes for 2022 so that Panama continues to flourish in the tourism sector?

In Panama we invite you to discover authentic tourism, with very genuine cultures, with pristine nature, if what you want is to discover open spaces, connect with nature, visit indigenous peoples, self-descendants and autochthonous people, Panama is the place to visit