Panama should launch international offensive

 

"Panama must not be afraid to launch an offensive," said Malcolm Stevenson, better known as Steve Forbes, Publisher of Forbes business magazine, referring to the impact in the country of the scandal known as "Panama Papers". For Forbes, a US executive, who has been Republican presidential candidate twice, the damage caused by the scandal involving Mossack Fonseca, the Panamanian law firm, should be reversed. These assertions were made by Forbes at the Conference called "Navigating the economy for success and business growth", scenario in which expressed his opinion concerning different topics of the economy of Panama. In view of the also strategic advisor of economy and finance, this is the right time for tourism to be promoted and not to let others define the image of the country. "It all depends on how you respond, they have the expansion of the Panama Canal, the highest growth rate in Latin America, good geographical position", said the specialist as advantages that Panama should make the most. He said as part of the Panamanian potential, the existence in the territory of one of the largest in Latin America and a financial center zones, so the country must not be afraid to undertake an offensive and reconfigure everything said. For Forbes, it is imperative to take a long-term tourism strategy, in order to increase the number of investors and their stay in the country. "It is not good that the country will be remembered by the global scandal nor for the 100 years of the Canal," said Forbes. He considers, in addition, unforgivable that a just few months opened the expanded Canal, there is no further promotion in national and international media. He said that the expansion of the Panama Canal is something historic. "They have no idea how great that is for world trade," he said. He also mentioned the development of skyscrapers in the country. "There are more skyscrapers than in Chicago, in fact Panama has 16 of the 25 tallest buildings," he said. As a result, the Minister of the authority of tourism of Panama (ATP), Gustavo Him, says that the promotional work is being done. "If interest international towards Panama, took advantage since a digital campaign was carried out to show the attractiveness that is Panama as a tourist destination. "We have taken advantage of the situation and carry out a strategy with the search engine on the internet Google, where everyone who enters to find information on" Panama papers ", you will be first of all information of our country as a tourist attraction." Until the 25th of April we had 22 million of "clips", according to information given by the administrators of the search engine. Antonio Alfaro, President of the Chamber of tourism of Panama (Camtur), coincides with Forbes, considering that at this time that the name of Panama is everywhere, "should leverage to promote the country, and we are not doing it". Alfaro made reference to the lack of promotion of the country. "No country in the world that tries to have a serious, responsible and continuous tourism can afford to go two years without promotion, since people forget". The ATP long-term bets on the regulation of the tourism Fund, whose aim is that Panama maintains its international promotion without being interrupted, said Him. The National Council of tourism approved start this month a promotion agency hiring. Forbes also recommended bet to medical tourism and to the Congress.