Panama: Promotion by Chinese tour operators

Publicado el 09-05-2018

About 10 Chinese tour operators arrived in Panama with the purpose of knowing the country's tourist destinations to promote them in their country, after the start of the China Air flight. The tour operators come from the province of Guangzhou, the People's Republic of China, where last March the Tourism Authority and private companies participated in the International Travel Fair of Guangzhou, with Panama declared as the "most popular destination". The tour operators met with the administrator of the Tourism Authority, Gustavo Him, to whom they raised their interest to promote in their packages the destinations of Panama in the province of Canton, with more than 100 million inhabitants and the largest annual record of tourists Chinese with exit to the outside. "They are among the top 100 best tour operators in China and with 30 years of experience in international tourism," said Jaime Yao, advisor to the National Council of the Chinese Ethnic Group in Panama. It was raised at the meeting that many groups of tourists interested in visiting the isthmus, but before the tour operators need to make a fam trips (familiarization trips) to know the destination and draw a route to expose the Panamanian product well. The Chinese tourist, especially the resident in Guangzhou, after the fair in Guangzhou has shown interest in visiting the Canal and live the experience of being in two oceans in a single day. Also, they have preference in tasting the varied gastronomy of the countries they visit.

Yao stressed that the Chinese citizen since childhood has had reference to the Canal because it is included in education books, because of its geographical and commercial importance, which is why it is the first thing they want to know. Air China flights, he said, will promote Chinese tourism to Panama and the region on a large scale. "In the beginning it may be a bit slow due to the language barrier, but it will become a big boom." In this regard, Him stressed that the country is preparing because the idea is that the tourist who comes from China know the country, have fun and receive good care. In three nights and four days the delegation of Chinese tour operators will have the opportunity to obtain a record of photographs of tourist destinations in the capital city and the Atlantic Zone. The tour will begin in Panama City visiting the historical monuments of Panama Viejo and the Casco Antiguo to film and photograph important buildings, churches, convents and colonial plazas. On the second day, they will use the Panama-Colón train to visit the new Agua Clara locks, then leave the Hotel Melia on an ecological tour through Gatun Lake until they reach the Nepone Puru Village (Flor del Pueblo), to learn about their customs and traditions. On Friday 20, they will board one of the Pullmantur cruises to tour Curacao, Aruba to finally return to China.

Source: La Prensa