To help Panama reach its full tourism potential, it is important to have highly experienced individuals who have witnessed different stages of the industry’s evolution and possess a clear vision. For this reason, our Special Guest is one of the most experienced professionals in Panamanian tourism, beginning his career with the award-winning American airline Braniff in 1965 and later leading the sales division of Air Panama for all of Central America until, in 1981, he founded Viajes Royal Tours, which for 38 years was a benchmark for its personalized service and solid network of international alliances. A valued member of various national tourism associations and current President of Skål Panama, Ernesto “Tito” Reyna speaks exclusively to The Visitor – El Visitante about what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done in the country’s tourism sector.
How has tourism evolved in Panama? In what areas have we made progress, and which areas still need improvement?
“It has definitely progressed tremendously for the good of our country, thank God. Several different people have led what was formerly the Panamanian Tourism Institute and is now the Tourism Authority. Each one has brought new ideas and new customs and has tried to develop them. For me, the success of tourism in Panama began with the “My Name is Panama” campaign. This campaign was very effective not only locally but also internationally. And besides the fact that our country has everything it needs for tourism, the problem is that we haven’t known how to promote it. Perhaps we’ve promoted Panama City and the Panama Canal too much, but, for example, we haven’t done what other countries do: promote the different regions of their country, like the interior, the beaches, the museums—many things we didn’t have before but have now, and that’s what I think attracts more tourists to Panama every day. In my personal opinion, where we’ve recently fallen short is in promoting the Panama Carnival as a tourist attraction.”
You have traveled to various parts of the world. What examples can we take from other tourist experiences to apply the authentic approach of Panama?
“In Latin America, the way the Dominican Republic promotes itself and its success, especially the beach area, deserves applause. I’ve been there several times and have taken many groups and organized events there. It’s impressive how organized they are. They have a beautiful sea, but they also have many well-established hotels and accommodations with good service. They treat Visitors very well. I have an anecdote: I arrived in the Dominican Republic once on March 4th. My birthday is March 3rd. I handed over my passport and they said, ‘Welcome to Punta Cana…and happy birthday, Mr. Reyna! You had your birthday yesterday!’
I’ll never forget that.” I repeat that story constantly.
Most hotels are located in Panama City. What do you propose to help the capital attract more visitors and encourage them to also explore the interior?
“Fortunately, today we have many hotel accommodations of all levels in different regions of our country. I say ‘region’ because here we talk about ‘province,’ but I say ‘region’ because Mexico promotes its tourism by region. There isn’t a single town in that country that doesn’t promote itself; each one has its own appeal and its own story. So, in recent years, I would say that we have managed to provide adequate accommodations for tourists outside of Panama City. I think many of them promote themselves directly because each one has its own way of promoting itself. In that respect, I think we have made considerable progress. It’s simply a matter of promoting ourselves, and each one has its own appeal: those with beaches, those with all-inclusive resorts, those with cabins in the mountains, in Campana, in El Valle de Anton—there’s something for everyone.”
How will the Skål International regional event help to boost Panama’s tourism offering worldwide?
“First of all, I’m going to tell you more or less about the objectives of the Skål clubs that exist. Skål clubs in different countries and continents are a link between tourism professionals, to facilite their interaction and uniting them under an ideal of collaboration, free from political, union, or religious issues. Within Skål clubs, there’s a tradition of establishing twinning agreements between countries. For example, Panama is twinned with Mexico, Venice, Barcelona, Turkey, and many others. What are twinning agreements? The organization initiating the twinning, for example, Panama, invites the Skål club of Barcelona to come to Panama. If 15, 20, or 25 members come to the twinning ceremony with Skål Panama, as soon as they arrive, we take it upon ourselves to show them as much as possible about Panama during their stay. They come from their country as ambassadors so that when they return home, they can promote Panama based on the experience they had through our club.
This year we’re going to celebrate the CLACSKAL Congress, an event that…It will bring together tourism professionals from across the region and the continent. Our slogan is ‘United by friendship and a passion for tourism.’ And a very interesting fact is that the date of this congress is the same as 27 years ago when we also had the opportunity to organized it. And that tells you, that it is an event that left its mark on different regions and that our country has the experience, the capacity, and the hospitality necessary to once again host this important gathering.
What are your three favorite destinations in Panama and why?
“I frequently visit Cocle province. And when I say ‘this province,’ it’s because it has a variety of tourist facilities, and I’ve truly enjoyed it. Boquete, of course, is impressive because it’s a place where they’ve trained for tourism. I think that’s why they’re so successful in tourism; it’s very well organized and managed. And the third, located between San Blas and Bocas del Toro, has spectacular beaches.”