68,000 tourists arrived on direct flights from Europe

-June 10th, 2016
Source: La Prensa

The Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) reported that between January and April this year, 68,000 tourists from Europe arrived in Panama through direct flights. Passengers arrived on flights from Iberia, KLM, Air France and Lufthansa airlines. According to statistics supplied by the entity, Iberia transported 19,795 passengers, representing 29 percent of the total number of passengers coming from Europe; while KLM transported 19,000 passengers (27.9 percent), Air France transported 18,774 passengers (27.5 percent) while Lufthansa, which started operations in March moved 10,600 passengers (15.5 percent).

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Cautions aside, Savannah port expects more cargo after bigger Panama Canal opens June 26

-June 6th, 2016
Source: SaportaReport

Despite cautionary remarks in a report by the real estate company CBRE, Georgia’s ports expect to handle more cargo and add more to the state’s economy once the expanded Panama Canal opens this month, Griff Lynch, incoming executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, said Monday. “We think it will be positive for Georgia ports and the East Coast,” Lynch said of the expanded canal. “We [Savannah] are the largest trading partner with the canal today. We think that’s going to grow.”

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The Panama Canal Expansion: Changes Beyond The Waterway

-June 3rd, 2016
Source: Wharton University of Pennsylvania.

With the opening of the long-awaited Panama Canal expansion project this June, all eyes are on the impact the $5.25 billion engineering marvel will have on maritime traffic across the vital international lanes that link the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. However, the transformation it will bring to Panama’s domestic economy and society have been largely overshadowed by the historic expansion. The expansion has already bolstered Panama’s efforts to become the Singapore – or perhaps Dubai – of Central America. It also promises to help to transform the role that Panama is playing for many U.S. and other foreign firms that are doing business in Central and South America.

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