As in every edition, The Visitor – El Visitante invites a person with an outstanding professional career who can contribute to the national conversation around tourism and its development. On this occasion, is the current president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama, a Panamanian with a long history in the private business community, as well as in the agricultural sector for the local and export markets. Likewise, he is director of several highly prestigious companies in the tourism, technological and recreational sectors.
Juan Alberto Arias Strunz is our special guest and in an exclusive interview he explains his vision to achieve the development of Panamanian tourism.
How can MICE tourism be expanded to make Panama City a great HUB for international events and how can it expand inland?
“It is up to us to go out and look for those international events and promote Panama as the ideal destination for those Meetings. As the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama we have been doing the same, since, in addition to our largest and most traditional fairs, Expocomer, Expo Logistica Panama and Expo Turismo Internacional, in 2025 we will celebrate Expo Electrica Internacional Panama and in 2026 we will be organizing in strategic alliance with the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, the World of Coffee 2026, a specialized event that is being held for the first time in Latin America.
In addition, we recently signed an agreement with Corferias of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce, an entity with 70 years of experience in organizing fairs and events internationally, with more than 50 annual fairs in its portfolio; which seeks to create platforms to exchange knowledge, experiences and establish business contacts. Within the framework of this agreement, we have also agreed to organize two more fairs during 2025.
As the Panama Chamber of Commerce, through Expo Turismo Internacional we always create visits to the interior of the country for specialized buyers so that they can present not only Panama City in their packages but also the interior of the country. However, there is a need to increase the number of conference and exhibition facilities that host large-scale events in these areas”.
How can private companies take a more important role in tourism planning and development, knowing that government actions may take time?
“As we have indicated, as the most representative union of the private sector, we are working on attracting events that can represent well-being for all Panamanians.
Furthermore, it is the private company that is called to present the tourism product and its added values, for this it can invest in improving infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants and activities. Coupled with the development we have had and innovative services that attract different segments of tourists. On the other hand, alliances between the public and private sectors can support the creation of tourism projects”.
How can private companies get involved in the creation of experiential routes that rely on the easy connectivity from the Tocumen airport to have more people enjoying the capital?
“There is already a tourist bus service that tours the city traveling through the main avenues, where Metro stations are located. We encourage new initiatives like this to emerge and also promote them from the Tocumen International Airport.
For example, express packages can be developed that offer short experiences that adapt to travelers’ layover Times. While, on the other hand, the Copa Airlines “Stop Over” package allows the transit traveler to make a long stopover in Panama and get to know different places in the city a little more in-depth. Other tourist service companies could join in with special discounts for those travelers who decide to have this stop in the country”.
How can private companies be supported in the interior to generate businesses that expand the tourist experience within the sustainable tourism indicated in the tourism master plan?
“The idea has always been to work together in packages that link the city with the interior of the country and be able to offer the visitor an experience of the city, shopping, the countryside, mountains, beaches and/or ecological trails. In short, Panama It has everything.
Furthermore, we faithfully believe in training and technical advice, which is why, in recent years, at our fair dedicated to the sector, Expo Turismo Internacional, we have held seminars and workshops on different aspects of tourist service.
Likewise, through Expo Turismo Internacional we always have the space for key destinations in the interior of the country to present their offer to qualified buyers who visit us every year.
As the country’s tourist brand says, “Panama, Live for More!”
Photos courtesy: Juan Alberto Arias Strunz