Romania and Panama Explore New Tourism Opportunities

Mihai Daraban, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR), recently met with Javier Enrique Caraballo Salazar, the ambassador of Panama to Romania, to discuss expanding tourism between the two nations. This meeting highlights the potential for Romania to open up its market to Panama, a destination that remains largely untapped for Romanian travelers.

During their discussions, both leaders focused on creating a common action calendar aimed at promoting tourism. They acknowledged that Romanian agencies currently do not promote Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, or Peru, while agencies from Latin America have not been active in bringing tourists to Romania. This is a significant gap, considering there is a direct flight from Istanbul to Ciudad de Panama, which is less than an hour away from Bucharest.

The upcoming tourism fair at Romexpo, scheduled for November 19-22, will serve as a platform for further discussions and potential collaborations. Ambassador Caraballo presented various support tools for promoting Panama as a travel destination, highlighting the country's diverse offerings, including its beaches, biodiversity, heritage, and developed service sector.

Panama is recognized as the safest country in the region, according to specialized studies, which can alleviate concerns for travelers considering long-distance trips. Additionally, Panama is prepared to organize familiarization trips for Romanian agencies to help them better understand the opportunities available.

The meeting also explored collaboration in the maritime services sector, leveraging Romania's expertise in ship inspections using floating docks. Notably, there are currently 72 companies with Panamanian capital registered in Romania, with a cumulative subscribed capital of approximately five million euros.

This meeting continues the series of contacts initiated by the economic mission organized by CCIR to Ciudad de Panama at the beginning of 2025, which included around 30 representatives from the Romanian business community. The ongoing dialogue between Romania and Panama represents a promising step towards enhancing bilateral relations and tourism opportunities.