CCIR: Tourism to Latin America, naval services are opportunities for Romania

Tourism to Latin America is, to Romania, an untapped market, and naval services are opportunities for collaboration, according to Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR) Mihai Daraban, who on Wednesday welcomed Panama's ambassador in Bucharest Javier Enrique Caraballo Salazar at the CCIR headquarters."Tourism to Latin America is, to Romania, a market that has not yet been opened. It is not a problem of demand, but of supply: our agencies do not promote Panama, Ecuador, Colombia or Peru, and the agencies from these countries do not come to us. However, we have an advantage that we must use - the non-stop flight between Istanbul and Panama City, less than an hour's flight from Bucharest. All-inclusive packages can be built on this channel, with transport, accommodation, circuit and transfers included, and the tourism fair at Romexpo, on November 19-22, is the place where such discussion should be held directly with the agencies," Daraban is quoted as saying in a press statement released on Wednesday.Discussions focused on opening the Romanian market to Panama and identifying a joint calendar of actions in the field of tourism, as well as collaboration in terms of naval services.The ambassador presented the support instruments made available by the Panamanian state for the promotion of the destination."Panama offers the visitors a full range of experiences - coastline, biodiversity, heritage and a developed service sector - in a country that is, according to specialised studies, the safest in the region. Our support programmes are built for small agencies, those that can test a new destination without risk, and the medical insurance granted to each tourist eliminates one of the main reservations of the long-distance traveller. We are ready to organise familiarisation trips for agency representatives in Romania," said Salazar. The conversation on naval services highlighted opportunities for collaboration in this sector as well, as Romania was able to provide expertise in ship inspections using floating docks.Discussions also focused on the broader framework of the bilateral economic relationship. In Romania, there are currently 72 companies with Panamanian capital participation, with an aggregate paid-up share capital of approximately EUR 5 million.The meeting continues the series of contacts initiated by a trade mission held by CCIR in Panama City in early 2025 of a delegation of approximately 30 Romanian business leaders.  (Photo:https://ccir.ro/)