Mexican Caribbean Sets Its Sights on Panama to Diversify Tourism

Cancun, Quintana Roo — The Mexican Caribbean is aiming to strengthen its presence in Panama and capitalize on the momentum of other South American markets to offset a slowdown among some of its main sources of visitors, said Pablo Casas Gómez, deputy tourism secretary of Quintana Roo.

Tourism promotion officials say roughly 0.5 percent of Panamanian tourism currently travels to the Mexican Caribbean, a share they hope to increase through new promotion strategies and wider marketing of the tourism products Quintana Roo offers.

“Although Panama is also a destination market for visitors, the strategy calls for strengthening exchange and positioning the Mexican Caribbean among Panamanian travelers, with special attention to products that go beyond traditional sun-and-beach tourism,” Casas Gómez said.

South America Delivers Growth

While some markets are showing more moderate behavior, South America is posting favorable results for the Mexican Caribbean.

The Brazilian market remains dynamic and has drawn the sector’s attention, with officials expecting it to close the year with positive numbers. Argentina is also trending upward after roughly 18 months of recovery, while Colombia is regaining relevance after a period in which it had lost market share.

Authorities attribute part of that recovery to promotion efforts and to negotiations aimed at facilitating the arrival of visitors, particularly from Colombia.

By contrast, the United States — the Mexican Caribbean’s largest market — is currently the weakest performer, which tourism officials attribute mainly to the economic climate.

Air Traffic Shifts Create an Opening

According to figures from the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), passenger traffic between Mexico and the United States fell 5.4 percent in July, a decline of 207,000 passengers compared with the same month a year earlier.

Over the same month, however, the air corridor between Panama and the United States grew 10.4 percent, placing it among the leading extra-regional markets posting growth.

ALTA also reported that Panama has recorded seven consecutive months of double-digit increases in air traffic.

While the air market between Mexico and the United States contracts, Panama’s sustained growth offers the Mexican Caribbean an opportunity to diversify its tourism markets.