Panama tourism is running hot, with H1 arrivals at a record 1.75 million

Panama tourism is running hot, with H1 arrivals at a record 1.75 million

Panama drew a record 1.75 million international visitors in the first half of 2026, up 17.4% year-on-year, with tourism generating about US$159 million in economic impact. Hotels were fuller too: occupancy reached roughly 67.6% in H1, while the meetings segment alone brought in 113,937 participants across 74 international events. Tocumen International Airport remains the main gateway, and the United States remains the largest source market.

Gobble's Take: Panama’s not whispering “recovery” anymore — it’s doing laps around the arrivals hall. Source: Perplexity Search

Panama City gets ten days of flamenco, with a free daytime lineup and a ticketed finale

Panama Flamenco Week 2026 runs from 21 to 30 August across Panama City, with activities at Ciudad de las Artes, Academia Flamenco Panamá, and Teatro Pacific. The program includes masterclasses, a photo exhibition, a wine-and-flamenco session, and the premiere of “Balboa, su Pasión: Flamenco y Tradición” on 29 and 30 August. Most daytime activities are free, while closing-show tickets are sold via tuboletoya.com and Academia Flamenco Panamá, with part of the proceeds going to FANLYC.

Gobble's Take: Free by day, ticketed by night — Panama City is basically running a cultural trapdoor into a gala finale. Source: Perplexity Search

In Case You Missed It

Yesterday's top stories:

• Copa widens the Panama stopover window