Panama's tourism engine just hit a new high

Panama's tourism engine just hit a new high

Panama welcomed 3,004,266 international visitors in 2025, generating $6.583 billion in tourism revenue — nearly double what the Panama Canal earns in a year. Tocumen International Airport alone processed 2.2 million of those arrivals. The pattern is hard to argue with: Panama is no longer a layover. It's the trip.

Cruise ports are pulling their weight too, with more ships scheduling Panama calls as the Canal's draw grows. The money is landing where travelers feel it — in Bocas hostels, in San Blas pangas, in the full ecosystem that runs on tourism.

Gobble's Take: Panama stopped being a stopover. It became the destination. The crowd already knows — the question is whether you get there first. Source: Perplexity Search

Bocas del Toro is beautiful — and currently on the watch list

A U.S. A U.S. Embassy alert dated June 20, 2025 reported that the Panamanian government declared a state of emergency in Bocas del Toro Province — including Changuinola and the Bocas del Toro Archipelago — due to continuing and escalating civil unrest. The alert warned that mainland disruptions were cutting into essential supply chains to the islands, and that travel to and from the islands may be limited.

Government personnel were prohibited from traveling to both the mainland and the islands until further notice. The official advice: avoid all areas of Bocas del Toro Province.

Gobble's Take: The islands are still stunning. The logistics, right now, are not. Check the alert before you book the panga. Source: Perplexity Search

The road from Boquete to Bocas will test your patience — and possibly your car

One traveler's account of driving from Boquete to the Caribbean coastline of Panamá is not reassuring: steep mountain switchbacks, deep potholes that meander across both lanes, narrow curves where head-on collisions are common, and conditions that turn genuinely dangerous after dark or in heavy rain. The write-up notes that accidents were regular — bus accidents particularly so — and that some potholes are deep enough to total a car outright.

The route also passes near and over La Fortuna Dam, where regular protests have shut the road for hours, days, or weeks at a time.

Gobble's Take: The road to Bocas is not the vibe reel. It's the part of the trip the Instagram photos skip. Source: Perplexity Search

Dengue is a real health risk — not a footnote

An Outbreak News Today update is direct: dengue is serious and potentially fatal, and travelers should not self-medicate and should seek medical attention if symptoms appear. Panama has co-circulation of all four dengue serotypes, with predominance of DEN-3 and DENV-4 — a combination that raises the risk of severe and fatal cases.

Gobble's Take: The mosquito in Panama is not background noise. Pack repellent, know the symptoms, and skip the pharmacy self-diagnosis. Source: Perplexity Search

In Case You Missed It

Yesterday's top stories:

• After 112 Years, the Panama Canal's First Female Administrator Takes the Helm
• Panama's $300 Million Highway Expansion Comes With Tolls — And Locals in the West Are Furious
• The Amador Causeway at Night, Casco Viejo, Miraflores Locks: Panama City's Underrated Photo Spots, According to Locals