Panama plans US trip to promote conventions

Early next year, a promotional caravan in the United States with the aim of promoting conventions and business meetings in Panama, the Panama Tourism Authority said.

The authority's marketing director, Enrique Sánchez, said that Panama is betting on big returns from the construction of the Amador international connections center, currently under construction.

But the challenge is major, said Armando Rodríguez, head of Apatel, the hoteliers' association. A few years ago, Panama was attracting about 80,000 people a year to attend business conventions. These days, he added, only about 6,000 show up.