Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Cruise ship tourism is spiking in 2014, Metro Line 2 has a management contract, and we tell you the best way to bring a pet to Panama. Here鈥檚 the latest:
Cruise passengers in Panama have increased more than 20%
Tourism in Panama continues to boom, and the cruise industry is taking advantage of it. In the first half of 2014, the total number of cruise passengers has increased by just over 20%. This is unprecedented, and a great sign for international cruise companies looking to enhance and expand their Caribbean market. The Panama Canal, access to two oceans, and a favorable tourism economy have all lead to the boom.
In the past three years, Panama has experienced an increase of over 20% in cruise passengers movilization.聽According to the Statistics Department of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP),聽in the first five months of 2014, the movement of cruise passengers amounted to 323.910 people.
According to information posted on the website The Economist,聽the largest displacement in 2014, took place in January, when a total of 87,395 passengers were reported.
The聽cruise season in Colon will start in October with the arrival of ships like Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, Princess Cruises and Pullmantur lines.聽It is expected that from October 2014 to April 2015, reaching more than 100 cruises to ports of Colon 2000 and the Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal.聽There is an average of 45,000 cruise passengers disembarked last season monthly in the harbor of the city of Colon and Amador (at the Pacific entrance of the Canal).
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N.J.-Based US Firm lands Panama City Metro Line 2 Management Contract
With the planning of Panama City鈥檚 2nd metro (subway) line well underway, the project management contract was signed this week. The winner of the preverbal subways sweepstakes is Louis Berger, a Morristown, N.J.-based construction/engineering group. Louis Berger was contracted as part of the 鈥淐onsorcio PML2鈥 which also consists of Ayesa and Metropolitan Transports of Barcelona, Spain. The deal is worth $32 million, over 3 years.
鈥淟ouis Berger is combining local knowledge with global expertise to deliver solutions tailored for the people of Panama,鈥 said D. James Stamatis, president of Louis Berger鈥檚 international operations. 鈥淎s one of the largest engineering firms in the world with regional headquarters in Panama, we will work closely with our Panama Metro client to deliver a transportation solution for the people of Panama by combining our 50-year history within the transportation sector in Latin America with our extensive global rail expertise, which includes signature programs in Ankara, Turkey; Bangkok, Thailand; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Doha, Qatar; and Mumbai, India.鈥
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Panama Offers Free Events to Attract International Businesses
Panama is making a big push to attract new business for its soon-to-be-opened (2015) international convention center that will rival anything on the continent.聽 To do so, the board of tourism is now offering free cultural tours, and meeting space, for some few select clients in their current facility, ATLAPA.
In the lead-up to the opening of Amador Convention Center, the聽ATP聽(Autoridad de Turismo de 笔补苍补尘谩) is currently offering incentives to companies and organizations to host their meetings in Panama, including a welcome cocktail event and folklore show offering the best of Panamanian culture. Until the new convention center opens, Panama’s current site for major events, the聽ATLAPA Convention Center, is free to organizers of events who meet a minimum quota of participants.
Other advantages to meeting planners include Panama’s affordability and friendly economic policies, including the use of the U.S. dollar as an official currency, as well as an IRS tax exemption that allows U.S. companies to claim expenses from holding an international meeting in the country. Bonus: Panama also offers visitors free medical emergency insurance for 30 days upon entry.
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Bringing Your Pet to Panama: What you need to know first
When you move to another country, it鈥檚 important that you take care of business before you go. This couldn鈥檛 be truer than when talking about pets. Bringing your pet abroad is tough, but you can ease the transition if you do the right planning. Check out these essential tips on how to bring your pet to Panama, from our latest blog post.
Before you can even consider transporting a pet to another country, you need to make sure it鈥檚 got a clean bill of health. A veterinarian in your home country can do this, however in the US, it needs to be done by a veterinarian who is accredited by the US Department of Agriculture. The veterinarian must then prepare an internationally valid health certificate, which states that your pet is free of parasites, and has the mandatory vaccinations (which includes rabies) it needs.
Read more from our blog on Bring a pet to Panama
