Can Foreign Investors Continue to Support Panama City’s Real Estate Boom?
Panama’s economy is continuing to grow. Panama’s growing economy can only mean good things for foreign investors, right? The country’s Gross Domestic Product increased by eight and a half to nine percent from 2006 to 2007. Much of this growth can be attributed to some major undertakings in Panama [...]
Filed under: Business, News, Real Estate on June 23rd, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Actor, Singer, Composer, Politico Ruben Blades
I went in to my meeting with sitting IPAT Tourism Minister Ruben Blades not quite sure what to expect. After his response to a blog I’d written and my retort, did Mr. Blades bring me in to continue the debate? To convince me that his Tourism Master Plan would allay [...]
Filed under: Business, Politics on June 18th, 2008 | 3 Comments »
With the $8B canal expansion come 8 billion new opportunities
As an entrepreneur and business startup-a-holic, I often wistfully ask myself, “Why couldn’t I have $20M to incubate all my zany biz ideas?” Of course, if I DID have a rich uncle or some other benefactor, I’d probably just be another one of those brooding, [...]
Filed under: Business on June 16th, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Panama’s Minister of Tourism, Ruben Blades
Actor/Singer and Politician Ruben Blades recently replied to an article I wrote on Panama’s tourism industry. To anyone familiar with my writing, public speeches and opinions, these ideas are not new. Apparently however, both my ideas and persona are unfamiliar to Mr. Blades. Puzzling, given that he has met me on [...]
Filed under: Business, Politics, Real Estate on June 5th, 2008 | 7 Comments »
Note to readers: I originally wrote this letter back in September of 2006. It was my reaction after attending two successive AMCHAM tourism conferences. I was invited as a speaker at last year’s event, due in no small part to this letter circulating and some local friends who felt I might make an [...]
Filed under: Business, Politics on June 4th, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Lawmakers in Panama scramble to catch up to the tourism boom
Be forewarned, I invented all of these laws myself. I am not sure that the lawmakers of Panama have any intention of implementing such policies. But in my perfect world, were I king of the land, these are laws I would pass to [...]
Filed under: Business, Politics on June 4th, 2008 | 3 Comments »
You could call her Superwoman, but her real name is Ana Reyes. She’s from Panama, raised by a Panamanian father and a Bolivian mother. She has worked for the Panama Canal for 14 years. A year ago, a friend of hers living in Shanghai offered to help her start a little business importing silk embroidered [...]
Filed under: Business on May 16th, 2008 | No Comments »
Snorkeling off Isla Iguana near Pedasi, Panama
Lately, there has been plenty of discussion about Panama and its potential for tourism. Ruben Blades and IPAT are unveiling their “tourism master plan”, hotel projects are in the works all over the country and the real estate market is booming. Despite all the talk, hope and [...]
Filed under: Business, Politics on May 14th, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Panama City’s Old Quarer or ‘Casco Viejo’
Ruben Blades, singer/actor-turned Tourism Minister, declared several months back that Panama will not only compete heat to head with Costa Rica for tourism supremacy in the region, but will surpass Costa Rica as leader by 2010. A bold statement for a country still wearing tourism’s equivalent short pants, but is [...]
Filed under: Business, Politics on April 22nd, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Panama’s Consumer Confidence Down?
According to an online article published by local news outlet La Prensa, the Panama Consumer Confidence Index sunk by 6.4 points from February to March, to the figure 95.8, which is below the critical 100 benchmark that signifies good levels of Consumer Confidence. Some experts say this is one of several signs of growing [...]
Filed under: Business on April 11th, 2008 | No Comments »
Is the real estate party be over in Panama City, Panama?
With worries of Panama’s city condo market overheating, investors are looking to lesser-known destinations throughout the country where more affordable property prices exist. While an argument can be made for some of Panama’s established hot spots, the following is my personal list of the [...]
Filed under: Business, Real Estate on March 31st, 2008 | 5 Comments »
Panama City, Panama skyline
According to a recent article by the Latin Business Chronicle, business between China and Latin America grew a staggaring 49% to over $51 BILLION in 2007. Brazil is the top trade partner with the Asian Tiger, boasting $29 billion in trade with China.
The growth by percentage in trade with China among Latin [...]
Filed under: Business on March 28th, 2008 | No Comments »
Panama Luxury Vacations owners in San Blas
To celebrate the opening of their newly opened service center in Panama City, a local agency is offering incentives for travel to Panama. For selected vacations* purchased before April 12th, travelers will receive one free tour during their stay.
Filed under: Business on March 26th, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Toyota Prado, a favorite in Panama
Likely a residual effect from the recent real estate boom in Panama and high consumer confidence, new car sales rose 30% in 2007. Incredibly, stats are currently on pace to increase an additional 30% in 2008. This is the story according to the Association of Auto Distributors [...]
Filed under: Business on March 26th, 2008 | No Comments »
According to the Contraloria General, Panama’s local stock market or “bolsa de valores” grew a whopping 223% in the month of January vs. last year at the same time. The overall growth in 2007 was 9.6%. The re-aquisition of the local bank, Banistmo Shares, in process of liquidation from the merger with banking giant HSBC [...]
Filed under: Business on March 26th, 2008 | No Comments »
