In challenging times with a pandemic that must be overcome to get ahead in all daily activities. We are in the historical moment to learn from mistakes, take ideas and projects so that they begin to be executed with actions that benefits all Panama. For this reason, our first guest starting 2021 is the Panamanian singer-songwriter with the greatest trajectory and international recognition. Known as “The Poet of Sala Music”, Ruben Blades. In addition to being a versatile artist, is a lawyer, and has ventured into Panamanian politics, where he stood out as Minister of Tourism in the 2004 – 2009 period. For The Visitor / El Visitante it is an honor that Ruben Blades expresses his opinion about the tourism sector with his very own direct and unreserved style, right on target in his thoughts and comments.
What would you suggest to unite the groups that make up the tourism industry and work together with the objective of taking the country to the place it deserves?
“It is the State that must formulate the National Action Plan, after the necessary consultations and opinions from those who are part of the industry. Because in Panama everyone wants to go their own way and their interests. Proof of this is that when the Master Plan that we developed when I was Minister of Tourism was not taken into consideration by the next government, and the private sector did not demand its application either. Today, the Tourism Authority has neither strength nor authority. Once again, it is the interest of the private sector that decides the tourist policy, attending only their short-term needs, but without a long-term country vision ”.
What strategy or project would you apply in order for Panamanians to get motivated to be better tourism promoters, whether or not they work or are related to the industry?
“Tourism activity is concentrated in Panama City, a little at Colon and in Bocas del Toro Provinces. The rest of the country has been completely ignored, and its potentials wasted. As long as Panamanians don’t feel tourism is contributing to the development of their community, not only will not support tourism, but will abuse the tourist with very expansive prices. That, put together with poor service and the difficulties posed by the absence of infrastructure, will keep tourists from returning.
If you really want to motivate the country, the first thing is to apply a plan like the one we delivered in 2009: Identification of areas with tourism potential, the list of services required to consolidate offers and create a competitive and efficient tourism product; a new business administration plan, the training plan to serve the tourist, and, something that I requested and that MEF (Ministry of Economics and Finance) did not approve: That 10% of the National Bank of Panama’s profits could be available for loans to finance small and medium-sized enterprises through AMPYME, specifically for the areas and services set forth in the Master Plan. We had everything connected. Area, type of tourist service, loan to start it, type of business, training, business plan and administration. I had no support and no one attended to what was raised ”.
Music runs in the blood of every Panamanian. How can we use this valuable resource to promote ourselves locally and internationally?
“Among the arguments we presented were events such as world music festivals; theater, salsa, jazz (it already exists and is not supported properly), mejorana, decimas, cumbia, native negroid music (congos, bullarengue), calypso, reggae, rock, boleros, indigenous music (Guna, Guaymi, Embera), classical music, reggaeton festival (this music was born in Panama with Nando Boom and El General). I proposed the creation of a six-month season in Los Santos with the Santeño Carnival as the motive, supporting all the patron saint festivities of Panama (Torito Guapo, July 16 in Taboga etc). All this requires organization and logistical support. Where is the private initiative? They continue to focus on tours to Casco Antiguo, visiting the Embera Indians at Gatun, shopping tours, the same pod over and over again. Medical, gastronomic, cultural tourism, to mention three possibilities. Nothing ”.
What tourism projects remained pending in your mandate as Minister of Tourism and is was required to achieve it?
“The Master Plan that we did wasn’t taken into consideration by the next government. For example, the tourist advertising contract that had a five years duration, when the next government came in, they took the contract away from those who had won it in a clean way and gave it to a partner of them. Then came the Varela government and only came more of the same. Panama went without tourist advertising for more than 36 months.
We presented plans to create three tourist piers in Bocas del Toro, to replace the ones that operated there, but they prevented it. We had the design of the docks, the departure to make it and the areas to build it. The obstacles were multiple, later we discovered that the land we had designated for the docks was not owned by the government and that it was necessary to negotiate with private entities whose identity and whereabouts no one knew. The conditions to execute it expired.
Another pending: the arrangement to bring tourists to Guna Yala, was discussed and approved by the 49 communities that comprise it. We had the support of Amman Resorts and its creator Adrian Zecha. The company presented a tourist offer to go on cruises to the Dutch Keys, the tourists would sleep on boats, and visit the Guna communities in a single season from December to April and the payment would be negotiated directly with the Guna Congress. The plan was overthrown by the representative of the PRD at Guna Yala, who accused me of wanting to end the Guna identity.
Another pending: The Renewal of Colon City (Harrison-Price Project). Mr. Price was the co-creator of the original “Disneyland” project with Walt Disney, the San Diego Aquarium, “Epcot” in Florida etc. Harrison Price presented this Plan to Panama in 1997, because he traveled to Colon and fell in love with this province. He was only going to charge $ 50,000 for considering it “one of his three best projects in his professional life,” so he told me. To date, the best that has been presented for Colon. It had theaters, hotels, aquariums, tourist piers, concert hall, etc. He even offered to help us get financing. Why didn’t it happen in 1997? Because Panamanians living in New York told the government that Mr. Price had “stolen the idea” and they had a better Plan. Why did it fail again between 2004 – 2009? I took the Plan to the Governor of Colon, the Mayor, the Colon Free Zone, the CADE of Colon (Annual Colon Executive Conference), and the deputies. No one did anything to help.
Another Pending: Transform Panama City’s the Central Avenue into a kind of “Ramblas” like in Barcelona, with cafes, theaters, cinemas, clubs and shops, connecting to Santa Ana, San Felipe and El Chorrillo, with a tram departing from the old train station in Plaza 5 de Mayo to the new BIOMUSEUM. No one supported me either. I presented a Plan to renovate the town of Taboga Island with two “Overcraft” ships, one going and one coming every hour, with an investment in the Indra-Local Structure, Passable Sidewalks, Cycling Road, a Dock, a Tourist Offer to Visit Gaugin’s House, The Cemetery of the English Whalers, Pizarro’s Path to Peru, The House of the Mother of San Martín de Porres, etc.). There was no support.
Another Pending: The Plan – initiated in a meeting in September 2004 – with Gangs Chiefs of Colon City, to train “Tourist Assistants”. The plan started with relative success in 2007 and eliminated by the next government.
If the will of the State and its Authorities does not exist, nothing will change in Panama. If the “Tourism Promoters” offer the same routes and “attractions” and do not renew what exists, we are not going anywhere. If a 20-year State Tourism Plan is not applied, there will not be a coherent and sustained National Tourism Policy ”.
Why do other countries in the region have an advantage over us in tourism?
“Perhaps they have not had such corrupt, mediocre governments and authorities with lack of imagination and no will for Public Service. Costa Rica has been successful due to the consistency of its tourism message, the continuity of its advertising campaigns and the vision shown by the private sector. Despite the changes of governments, its “Country Brand” has been maintained. “
How do you feel tourism has been handled in Panama in recent years?
“From bad to worse, but I don’t blame the administrator. If the president does not support the plans, if the executive does not order all other State institutions to collaborate, to create and sustain the development of the Panama Tourism Master Plan, nothing positive will happen. A new paradigm of public administration is needed in our country ”.
Tourism in Panama is mired in a crisis due to the pandemic and the decisions that have been made around it. How can we elevate the industry in the short and medium term?
“Tourism is mired in a crisis since 2009. Our Administration left a 20-year tourism plan, we created the first tourism law, we created a solution to the problem of bribery in tourist transport, we achieved a new tourism advertising bidding system for a five years duration to guarantee our image in the international market continuously, we registered the highest rates of economic contribution to the institution, also registered the highest rates of hotel occupancy so far and created a whole “Momentum” that was used by the Martinelli Administration, but without adding anything else to what was inherited, and then abandoned without applying and improving it in the long term.
I joined the public service for a civic conviction. Those who serve your interests and your pocket, represent the corruption and political mediocrity that governs and paralyzes us. We must first eliminate that to create the country that we can be ”.