Alan Lam reports
Juan Carlos Varela, the incumbent President of the Republic of Panamá, travelled to Miami this week to promote his country’s ports to cruise business.
According to a communication from Panamá’s Ministry of External Relations, the President’s official agenda included meeting with top executives from Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean in his effort to promote Panama City and Colón as homeports.
The Panamanian President met with Micky Arison, Chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc, who expressed his profound interests in the development of the Colón port.
Later Juan Carlos Varela and his delegation also met with Richard Fain, CEO and Chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; Michael Bayley, CEO of Royal Caribbean International; and Federico González Denton, Associate Vice-President, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
He expounded the economic advantages of operating in Panamá, both for investors and the tourists, outlining homeport opportunities and potentials his country offered, especially in terms of excellent air connections and the forthcoming New Panamá Canal.
Also present in the meetings were Augusto Arosemena, Vice Minister of the Presidency; Luis Miguel Hincapié, Vice Chancellor; Gustavo Him, Tourism Authority Administrator; and Jorge Barakat, Maritime Authority Administrator.
Attracting cruise business forms part of the Panamanian government’s new tourism promotion strategy.
