Top 10 Reasons Why Panama Is your Ideal Corporate Incentive Travel and Meetings Destination
Meeting Place of the Americas
Panama’s Tocumen International Airport, which is the principal international gateway into the country, serves as the “Hub of the Americas” as it connects 84 different destinations in 34 countries. There are 22 international airlines serving Panama and direct flights arrive from: Boston, New York, Newark, Chicago, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, New Orleans, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Tropical Climate
At only 8 degrees north of the equator, Panama maintains a warm and tropical climate all year round. This is ideal for conducting your incentive program or event at a Beach location, in the rainforest along the Panama Canal, or at a City Hotel with a great pool. And even during the “green season” it rarely rains all day or for successive days so you have the flexibility of planning your event anytime during the year.
Safety and Security
The issue of safety and security is one of the most important issues to consider when deciding on a location to hold your corporate incentive travel program or meeting event. Panama City is the safest capital city in Latin America and is dedicated to providing a safe environment for travelers through the tourist police stations and people on the ground throughout the city. And your expert team of a driver and a guide work closely together to ensure your safety.
Easily Accessible and Convenient Connectivity
Panama is a small country, roughly the size of the state of South Carolina, so that means it is very easy and convenient to experience Panama City, the rainforest, the beaches, and even the mountains and cloud forests in a very short period of time. Driving times to top attractions and hotels are short compared to other popular destinations around the world. Panamas’ airlines are excellent and reliable so taking internal flights is a convenient and enjoyable way to travel within Panama.
Excellent Infrastructure
Panama is one of the easiest places in the Americas for international companies to conduct business primarily due to the currency being the US Dollar and the tolerance and appreciation for people from other cultures. The roads in and surrounding Panama City and the Canal are excellent and Panama boasts the first metro system in Central America. English is also widely spoken in Panama City and at all tourist quality hotels.
Ease of Entry
Arriving in Panama and entering the country could not be easier. Tocumen International Airport is the most modern airport in Central America and Americans, Canadians, and Western Europeans clear immigration conveniently without the need of a Visa or Tourist Card. The airport is only about 12 miles from downtown Panama City so it is an easy trip by road. And you can be in the midst of a tropical rainforest or at one of the country’s best beach resorts in less than an hour.
Great Selection of Meeting and Program Venues
Panama offers a nice diversity of meeting and program venues to choose from There is something for everyone whether you have a small group that can use the facilities at the boutique hotel, or a larger group that requires a hotel with its own convention center, Panama offers the perfect venue for your group. And there are two convention centers, of which the Figali hosted the Miss Universe Competition several years ago, with a third convention center in progress.
World Class Accommodations and Convention Centers
Panama has an amazing variety of type of accommodations. Whether your group is looking for a luxury beach resort on an island, accommodations nestled in the rainforest along the Panama Canal, or a unique boutique hotel in colonial Casco Antiguo, Panama has it all. And to really get away from it all, the picturesque mountains surrounding Anton Valley, which is a quaint little town built in the crater of an extinct volcano, are only two hours away by car.
Spectacular Attractions and Exciting Tours
Imagine arriving in Panama and having your welcome reception on an open-air terrace with million-dollar views of Panama City. Then the next day your group goes out to the rainforest for a private fishing trip on Lake Gatun where you have the fish you catch cooked and served for lunch. Then your group goes on a private transit of the world-famous Panama Canal on your very own luxury yacht. You finish your dream program with a private folkloric dance at a restaurant overlooking Miraflores Locks. Anything is possible!
Warm and Welcoming People
It would be hard to find an international destination for your Corporate Travel Incentive Program or Meeting Event where the people are more friendly and fun-loving than the Panamanians. And coming from a country always looking for an excuse to have a party, the Panamanian people you meet will leave you with lifelong impressions. You will arrive in Panama as a stranger in a different land and go home with numerous Panamanian friends!
As a natural land bridge connecting North and South America, Panama is truly at the crossroads of the Americas which makes it an ideal destination for your next Corporate Incentive Travel Program or Meeting location.
Only a six hour or less flight from New York, Chicago, Houston or Los Angeles, Panama is an exotic paradise boasting pristine beaches hugging two oceans, tropical rainforests teeming with a mind-boggling variety and quantity of birds and other wildlife, a plethora of exciting adventure sports such as white-water rafting, Central America’s best hiking trails, exhilarating zipline tours, ATV tracks, and just about every water sport found under the sun.
And while Panama is home to the world’s greatest engineering feat in the Panama Canal, there is so much more to see and do in Panama City in addition to taking a transit tour of the famous Canal.
Panama boasts an incredible international culinary scene, a pulsating nightlife that is virtually unrivaled anywhere in Latin America, and world-class shopping options and venues where you will find locally made unique handcrafts as well as internationally renowned luxury brands housed in the very best designer stores.
Yet upon arrival in Panama City the first thing you notice is a skyline dotted with modern skyscrapers that could easily be mistaken for Miami. As such, Panama maintains a strong business infrastructure that makes it one of the best places in the Americas to hold meetings or conferences.
And this is just the beginning. There is so much more that makes Panama such a great place for conducting Corporate Incentive Travel Programs or Meetings.