As you can read in the report below, the tourism minister continues to extort his distorted view of tourism. Where those businessmen with much to lose want to have the visa extended to 180 days like many advanced countries like the U.S., Mexico and Canada, he states again that he is against it. He wants more hassle and more costs associated with tourists coming here to spend money. This is the person I would expect to be championing the reduction of any and all barriers to people coming here to spend money. It is no wonder the countries tourism numbers are so dismal and the ministry is seen as ineffective by those who have made tourism investment into the country. There was a time when I supported the minister as a great ambassador for this country, but when he works to destroy my investment here he no longer will have my respect or support.
Panama, Thursday, September 13, 2007
Tourism Forum held by Panamanian Executives Association
Raul Bernal/ La Prensa
The extension of the tourist visa, the discrepancy in the tourist transport, the future of Atlapa and the aerial necessity of more airports are some of the problems that the national tourist industry faces, outlined yesterday the minister of Tourism, Rubén Blades, during their dissertation in the twelfth forum of tourism that organized the Panamanian Association of Executives (Apede). Blades thought that, in the aspect of the tourist visa, to improve the efficiency in the proceeding for its renovation. Sectors of the tourism have requested to extend the period to 180 days, instead of the 30 which it was approved months ago, since it affects the industry and the investors.
The tourism minister reiterated in his speech that he is not in favor of this measure, because an average tourist requires between seven to 30 days to visit the country. However, he pleads for the visas to be segmented-categorized according to staying that requires the visitor for an individual intention.
"But to settles down the clear regimes and that things are not confused. All the foreigner who enters Panama is not a tourist ", affirmed.
Transport and Atlapa (Atlantic-Pacific) Convention Center
Another one of the debates that the attention monopolizes nowadays is the one of the tourist transport. In this sense, the minister only limited to say that Panamanian Institute of Tourism (Ipat) has already raised before the corresponding commissions a solution to the problem of the plates of the Special Service of Tourism (SET), as much for the sector of transport as for the tourism operators. He hopes that by the end of the year is greater clarity, because the issue must be including in the tourism project law that is elaborated.
As far as Atlapa, he clarified that this institution does not comprise of the organization chart of a new Ministry of Tourism, although at the moment continues being administered by Ipat, but he proposed to returns it administration to the Ministry of Commerce and Trade, is sold or concession to the private sector.
"Neither Ipat, nor (future) the Ministry of Tourism must continue managing Atlapa, because that belongs to the private sector", he emphasized.
Security and improvements
In relation to the issue of the security, the minister alleged that the Tourism Master Plan that at the moment struggles, like the first draft of tourism law, raises protection to the tourist through an insurance that is going to create a basic covererage. He said that it is tried to create a National Police of Tourism that will take care of everything what is from the activity and that is equipped, trained, with dominion of languages, knowledge of history and national culture and of the area that patrols.
The necessity of more airports and aerial permits again was reiterated by the minister as has done it in each public forum where he has been present, being based on the dynamism in the movement of visitors whom there are, and who will come in the future. The improvements in the infrastructures, to establish fast transports in places like Taboga and the Pearl Islands, do not escape the evils that bother the Panamanian tourism. In the aspect of training, Blades proposed so that national curriculum of tourism is created, that would be guaranteed by the Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Professional Formation and Qualification for the Human Development (Inadeh).
