Discovering Panama with Copa Airlines

With the sun destination season kicking off for yet another year, travellers wary of Canada’s unavoidable winter weather are seeking new and exciting destinations to spend their vacations. Copa Airlines and the Panama Tourism Authority know it, and this fall, they’re bringing Panama to Canada’s doorstep with a tradeshow featuring the Central American country’s top suppliers.

“We see a lot of potential for Panama as a destination,” Clara Rangel, sales executive, Canada for Copa Airlines told PAX. “It’s not well-known among Canadian people yet, but it’s an exciting place to travel, and it’s growing more every year.”

Rangel was joined by her colleague Yolanda Molinuevo Ortega, sales executive Canada for Copa Airlines, and Luis Vargas, tourism promoter for the Panama Tourism Authority, earlier this week in Toronto for a morning of presentations geared toward showcasing the destination’s many offerings.

“We want to share with Canadian travellers what Panama can mean for them, outside of the traditional Caribbean offerings [everyone thinks about this time of year].”

Travel agents, MICE agencies, corporate travel companies and wholesale companies were in attendance for the event, a reflection of the range Panama can offer as a destination.

According to Vargas, Panama operates on U.S. currency, has a tropical climate year-round, and is the safest country in the upper region of Latin America. It’s also home to 600 multinational companies, and has been named the eighth most affordable city in the world.

Tourism currently represents 12.6 per cent of Panama’s economy, a number that is expected to rise as the country continues to develop the areas around its world-famous canal, including its locks system (its third set of locks are due to open in 2017) and its culinary scene.

“We have adventure travel, rainforests, corporate travel facilities, and of course, the beach,” Rangel said, going on to name the Panama Canal as her number one recommendation for the destination.

Getting to Panama is also becoming easier; Copa Airlines currently flies out of Toronto five times a week, and out of Montreal four times a week. The company is expanding its reach this year, with new destinations in the U.S. and Mexico, and has recently finalized an order for 61 737 MAX aircrafts. It also offers complimentary hot meals and alcoholic beverages to all passengers, as well as in-flight entertainment, pillows, blankets and perhaps most notably, two pieces of luggage – all free services which set Copa Airlines apart from a lot of its competitors offering similar routes into Panama, Molinuevo Ortega said.

According to Rangel, Panama is a place with plenty to offer clients looking for somewhere new to ride out the colder months this year, and it’s only going to become more popular as the country continues to grow its business and leisure markets.

For more information, visit www.visitpanama.com.