LatinNews Daily - 12 August 2026

*Panama’s economy and finance ministry (MEF) has revealed that tourism revenue totalled US$3.23bn in the first five months of 2026, up 15.3% on the same period in 2025, while 1.3m tourists visited Panama over that period, up 19.2% year-on-year. MEF highlights various actions aimed at promoting tourism, including a tourist insurance scheme (‘Seguro al Turista’) whereby visitors received temporary coverage of up to eight days for accidents during their stay in the country. It also highlights an initiative by Panama’s main international airport, Tocumen International, in Panama City, which seeks to “encourage transit passengers to extend their stay in the country and discover its tourist offerings”. Efforts to boost connectivity include the establishment of a strategic alliance between Ecuadorean tour operator MaxiTravel and airline Aeroregional which has enabled the launch of a new direct flight between Ecuador’s capital Quito and Río Hato, a popular tourist destination in Panama’s Coclé province, which began on 17 July.