Panama has officially invited Mexican investors and developers to join an enhancement project of the Canal Zone and its surrounding areas, including the cleanup of former shooting fields used by the U.S. military in the past.
Panamanian Ambassador to Mexico, Ricardo Aleman, and Julio Ross, manager of the Inter-Oceanic Region Authority (ARI for the Spanish acronym) discussed in Mexico City the possibilities of investing in seaport works, tourism, industrial development, trade and housing projects.
Spanish investors from small and midsize companies –most of them linked to the farming, foodstuff industry, manufacturing technology, wood, furniture and travel- will take part in a business powwow between Argentina and Spain scheduled for April 25 and 26 in Buenos Aires.
Caribbean News Digital has learned the Spanish delegation will be headed by Tourism and Trade Secretary Pedro Mejia, and Javier Gomez-Navarro, chairman of the Higher Council of Chambers.
Spain-based Mall Group is planning to invest some $200 million in a residential tourist project in Panama, a country where that particular activity has become the underpinnings of its travel industry, Tourism Minister Ruben Blades said this week.
Mr. Blades also underscored the interest of the Spanish company in this modality popped up during meetings held in Madrid and Panama City aimed at showing Spanish developers the Central American nation´s potentials to advance residential tourism in several regions.
Cuba managed to amass its first current account surplus in fourteen years since the collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1990, driven by nickel exports, tourism gains and the sale of medical services overseas, said Francisco Soberon, chairman of the island nation´s Central Bank.
Mr. Soberon noted that the prospects of a stronger economy have put the country in a position to revaluate its two currencies against the U.S. dollar in an effort to bridge the gap between greenback haves and have-nots within the population.
Paraguay welcomed 5,000 tourists during the Holy Week celebrations, an inflow that put roughly $1 million in the country´s coffers, Paraguayan Tourism Secretary Evanhy de Gallegos commented this week.
The most sought-after travel destinations were Puerto Falcon, Ita Enramada, the San Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz Bridge in Encarnacion and the Friendship Bridge in Ciudad del Este.
Elias Rajbe, president of the Travel Agency & Tourism Association of Venezuela (AVAVIT), revealed this week that the Holy Week observance churned out a 70 percent increase in sales of travel packages throughout the country.
Mr. Rabje mentioned the good going of domestic travel during the holidays, a period in which a majority of Venezuelans trekked to Margarita, Anzoategui, Merida and the Paraguana Peninsula, a destination that flared up dramatically this time around.