{"id":13664,"date":"2026-05-30T09:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=13664"},"modified":"2026-05-29T11:35:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:35:44","slug":"panama-opens-interactive-tourist-exhibit-at-tocumen-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/technology\/panama-opens-interactive-tourist-exhibit-at-tocumen-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"Panama Opens Interactive Tourist Exhibit at Tocumen Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"

Panama has opened a new interactive space called Sala Panama directly in the corridor connecting Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at Tocumen International Airport<\/strong><\/a>. The exhibit targets the thousands of transit passengers who pass through the facility daily. Officials hope to convert a fraction of those travelers into actual visitors to the country.<\/p>\n

Tocumen International Airport<\/strong> moves more than 62,000 passengers every day. The vast majority of these travelers are simply passing through on their way to other destinations. Between January and April of this year, the terminal processed 7.61 million travelers. That figure represents a 15 percent increase compared to the first four months of 2025. It translates to nearly 1 million additional passengers.<\/p>\n

This massive flow creates a unique challenge for Panama’s tourism industry. Local authorities want to capture even a small percentage of that transit market. They see tourism as a way to diversify the economy and generate new jobs. The airport estimates that 74 percent of its passengers are just passing through. Very few currently consider Panama a destination for vacations, shopping, or business.<\/p>\n

But the trend is shifting. The Panama Tourism Authority<\/a> reported that more than 1 million international visitors entered the country in the first quarter alone. The Panama Stopover Program<\/a> has attracted over 88,000 passengers through April. That program allows travelers to add a stop in Panama without extra airfare costs.<\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

Sala Panama Offers Interactive Map of Destinations<\/h2>\n

The new exhibit features an interactive map highlighting 13 iconic Panamanian destinations. Travelers simply wave their hand over the display to activate it. The screen then shows places like the Amador Causeway, the Panama Canal, Taboga Island, and the Pearl Islands. It also features Coiba Island, attractions in Chiriqui including the Baru Volcano and Boquete, the highlands of Tierras Altas, indigenous regions, and the beaches of Guna Yala.<\/p>\n

Visitors can explore tour packages ranging from 3 to 15 days. These include adventure tourism, shopping, gastronomic experiences, beach trips, mountain excursions, and city tours. The information is available in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.<\/p>\n

“Tourism is one of the best demonstrations that opportunities grow when we work together, because connecting efforts also means connecting development, employment, and growth for the country,” said Gloria De Leon, administrator of the Panama Tourism Authority. [Translated from Spanish]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

De Leon reiterated that the authority aims to attract more than 3 million tourists to the country this year.<\/p>\n

\"panama
by copa airlines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Copa Airlines and Airport Officials Back the Initiative<\/h2>\n

Pedro Heilbron, the executive president of Copa Airlines, attended the inauguration. He emphasized the strategic importance of the project for the region’s main aviation hub.<\/p>\n

“We want every passenger transiting through the Hub of the Americas to have a first connection with our country, even before leaving the airport. This experience allows us to show part of Panama’s cultural, natural, and tourist wealth, and motivate more travelers to turn their layover into a real visit. Through the Panama Stopover Program, we continue working with authorities and sector allies to strengthen the country’s tourism promotion and generate more opportunities for the Panamanian economy,” Heilbron stated. [Translated from Spanish]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The airport expects to move more than 22 million passengers this year. General manager Jose Ruiz Blanco extended a direct invitation to travelers.<\/p>\n

“The invitation is for them to go out and see Panama,” said Ruiz Blanco. [Translated from Spanish]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"1920px
Tocument Airport Por TomasVial – Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=144704601<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Airport Expansion Plans Gain Momentum<\/h2>\n

Ruiz Blanco also revealed major infrastructure plans. The airport will expand Terminal 2 with 10 new gates. That project carries a price tag of more than $220 million. Officials expect to put it out for bid in less than two months.<\/p>\n

A complete renovation of Terminal 1 is also on the table. That investment plan ranges between $19 million and $20 million. It will happen in the coming months. “We hope the board of directors approves that plan so we can put it out to bid this year,” Ruiz Blanco said.<\/p>\n

The arrival of more passengers and plans to land new airlines like ANA from Japan create pressure for expansion. Copa Airlines is also increasing its fleet. The airline is attracting other carriers to the hub. These developments demand faster capacity both on the ground and in the air.<\/p>\n

Rafael Barcenas, director of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the redesign of Panama’s airspace is nearly ready for signature. “We have $3 million in non-reimbursable funds from CAF for the airspace redesign. The consortium that will do the work has already been selected. It is a Brazilian, Canadian, and European consortium. We expect to sign that contract within 30 days,” Barcenas said.<\/p>\n

The redesign will improve air traffic flow. It aims to increase capacity from 35 aircraft per hour to between 65 and 70 aircraft per hour. That would effectively double the airport’s air traffic capacity.<\/p>\n

The Panama Tourism Authority<\/a> continues to promote the country through multiple channels. The Sala Panama exhibit represents one more tool in that effort. It sits right in the path of thousands of potential visitors every single day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Panama has opened a new interactive space called Sala Panama directly in the corridor connecting Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at Tocumen International Airport. The exhibit targets the thousands of transit passengers who pass through the facility daily. Officials hope to convert a fraction of those travelers into actual visitors to the country. Tocumen International<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[392,35],"tags":[4553,157,4552,419,4554],"class_list":["post-13664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","category-travel-tourism","tag-panama-opens-interactive-tourist","tag-panama-tourism","tag-sala-panama","tag-tocumen-airport","tag-tocumen-airport-exhibit","post_format-post-format-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13664"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13666,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13664\/revisions\/13666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}