The crisis in the tourism sector escalates

Closing hotels, low rates and retrenchment are the results of the lack of international promotion generated mainly by the slow development of tenders to be performed for this purpose, stated the owners of the major hotels in the country.

The concern of the growing crisis in the tourism industry of the country has forced owners, investors and hotel managers looking for a new strategy, implementation of the Tourism Promotion Fund, both locally and internationally.

Yesterday, in a meeting organized by the Panamanian Association of Hotels (Apatel), where representatives of brands such as Riande, Miramar, Sortis, Hilton, Bristol, Coronado Beach Resort, Hotel El Panama participated, among others, the need for it arose 50% of what it collects the Tourism Authority (ATP) for the promotion of the country was stated.

According to the business this is a fund established in Law 4 that creates the ATP and other provisions, but has not been implemented to date.

Article 14 of the Act provides that the National Fund for Tourism (Fonatur) is created, in order to establish a trust made up of no less than 50% of the general revenues of the ATP in taxes and fees aimed at ensuring payment of domestic and international promotional campaigns.

Businessman Herman Bern, who owns hotels in the country and a member of Apatel, who presided over the activity, said he already met with the administrator of the ATP, Gustavo Him, but the official says it can not allocate 50% of It is collected, as required by law.

"Him explained that a large percentage of the revenue is spent on paying the payroll of the institution, made up of some 400 officials, when the entity needs to work less than this amount," Bern said.

Bern estimated that more than $50 million is collected by the ATP annually and states that employers accept to start with 25% or 30% of this amount as part of the background, since the AT can not allocate a higher percentage.

Meanwhile, the crisis in the sector grows significantly.

Although Comptroller statistics indicate that the average occupation of 2015 was 52.3%, but entrepreneurs say they do not reflect reality.

There are hotels that have to reduce their rates over 30% and only 35% of their rooms are occupied, coupled with that employers must assume a minimum wage increase of between 30% and 40% in the last five years.

Ensure that Panama has become in the last two years, the country with the lowest rates in Latin America.

Another internal problems that reiterated the hotel was hosting illegal offering homeowners and apartments hogging between 10% and 20% of tourists entering the country.

The problem worsens detection zika in Panama, so many visitors have canceled their entry into the country and is even more complex with the devaluation of South American currencies, taking into account that countries like Colombia comes as many tourists.

Despite the crisis, the businessmen pointed out that the lack of promotion is such that the flag of Panama, Copa Airlines, instead of promoting Panama, sells other countries like Nicaragua, during the trip of your customers.

Jaime Campuzano, Apatel member and president of the Chamber of Tourism, said not looking take money from the ATP, but to help the company streamline promotion.

He reiterated that affects the sector the state bureaucracy, which makes bids are slower.

Alberto Vallarino, entrepreneur sector, said that tourism was included in the five-year plan formulated by the Government as one of the engines of the economy, but in practice it is not given importance.

Cesar Tribaldos, an Apatel member, also said that the promotion fund should be administered as a company to avoid bureaucracy and achieve greater effectiveness.