TOURISM: Panama Visitors, spending, hotel occupancy all up
Tourism in Panama grew in both the number of visitors and the amount of currency that was injected into the economy during the first quarter of 2012.
Free medical insurance, a boon for tourists
From January to March this year 619 471 visitors came to the Isthmus according to figures from the Comptroller General's Office and the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP).
With these figures, Panama has the most productive tourism in the region, with an increase of 4% and The visitors put $584.1 million into the economy.
In absolute terms, according to apress release, this represents $100.5 million more than the same period last year, an increase of 20.8%.
According to the ATP, the movement of visitors through the Tocumen International Airport, from January to March, grew by 19.05%, resulting from in 715, 396 000 travelers, with a positive difference of 63,483 visitors..
Preliminary figures from the tourism category hotels in the city of Panama, in the same quarter show an overall occupancy rate of 63.7%.
