Varela and Copa pitch for Colon as cruise lines home port

PANAMA MAY  have edged closer to  having a major home port for Carnival and Royal Caribbean  cruise lines following  a visit to Miami by President  Juan Carlos Varela  on Friday November  20 when he met with officials of the lines to  lay out some of the advantages and benefits of  the move.

High on the plus list he put forward were the expansion of Tocumen International Airport and the expansion of the Panama Canal. As an additional sweetener  Varela lauded  the $500 million  Colón rehabilitation plan that should make the city more attractive to use as a home port.

He was accompanied by Copa Airlines President Pedro Heilbron who and stressed that the air connectivity of Panama made it an attractive place for cruise ships to depart.

The meeting was part of Panama’s strategy to improve tourism

Varela went to Miami after a two-day visit to the Dominican Republic. It was the 22nd  trip of his  16 month presidency.