Copa Airlines has announced a record-breaking year for its Panama Stopover tourism initiative. The program, a joint effort with Panama’s tourism authority, transported over 200,000 passengers in 2025, exceeding its annual goal by eight percent.
This figure represents a significant 25 percent increase compared to the program’s performance in 2024. Developed in partnership with the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) and PROMTUR Panama, the initiative is designed to transform a simple flight connection into a multi-day tourist visit.
Copa Airlines Executive President Pedro Heilbron directly linked the program’s success to Panama’s strategic aviation hub. He emphasized its role in driving national economic growth through visitor spending.
“This excellent performance is the result of coordinated work with tourism authorities and private sector allies, which translates into more visitors, a stronger tourism sector, and job creation,” Heilbron said. [Translated from Spanish] He added that the program helps position Panama as an authentic, diverse, and competitive destination.
The average stopover traveler stayed in Panama for approximately three days. This duration provides a direct boost to local hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and tour operators, spreading economic benefits across multiple sectors.
Popular Attractions and Program Growth
Travelers participating in the stopover program consistently seek out key Panamanian experiences. Top attractions include the iconic Panama Canal, diverse shopping options, local gastronomy, cultural diversity, and the country’s beaches. Nature-based activities and sun-and-sand tourism continue to attract a wide range of international traveler profiles.
The 2025 results confirm the program’s sustained growth since its launch in 2019. Over that six-year period, more than 730,000 passengers have actively incorporated Panama into their travel itineraries. The initiative now boasts support from over 80 partners within the tourism sector, which expands the available experiences and strengthens the program’s reach in strategic markets.
This network of partners is crucial for offering compelling reasons for travelers to extend their layovers. The program’s structure is simple yet effective. It allows passengers transiting through Copa’s Hub of the Americas to extend their stay in Panama without any additional airfare cost, essentially offering two destinations for the price of one ticket.
The strategy smartly capitalizes on Panama’s geographic position as a leading regional air connection center. It directly reinforces the country’s competitiveness within the international tourism market. For a carrier like copa airlines, a member of the global Star Alliance network, the program also builds passenger loyalty and differentiates its service offering.
Panama’s tourism officials view the stopover program as a primary engine for attracting visitors. Its success contributes to broader national goals of diversifying the economy and promoting sustainable tourism growth. Resources for potential visitors are available through the official Tourism in Panama website.
Looking ahead, the program’s continued expansion seems likely. The consistent year-over-year passenger growth and the expanding network of local partners provide a strong foundation. The stopover model demonstrates how airlines and national tourism boards can collaborate to create mutual economic benefit, turning an airport hub into a genuine destination.