Panamas WYD dreams and logistical fears

WHILE Panama’s Tourism Authority optimistically forecasts that World Youth Day (WYD) January 22-27 in Panama  provide the country’s flagging tourism industry with a promotional boost, and the organizing committee  projects  it will inject more than $200 million into the national economy, more cautious observers  point out that much of the spending associated with the event comes out of the pockets of local taxpayers  and it could turn out to be a logistical nightmare  that could damage rather  than raise the country’s image.

The WYD Organizing Committee estimates that 250,000 tourists will arrive in the country, for the four-day event  including young pilgrims,  many of whom will be billeted in local homes and requisitioned schools and although  the figure is less than half that forecast by elated Church  officials when Opus Dei member President Juan Carlo Varela  first trumpeted  that his assiduous lobbying had paid off and Pope Francis announced in Krakow Poland, that  the next  event would be in Panama.

Perhaps they were dazzled by the attendance at Krakow, where 1.6 million participated, but over 8 million people live within 100 km of Krakow, and it is already a major tourist destination, home to one of the world’s oldest universities and once designated the cultural capital of Europe.

But it’s fortunate that attendance in Panama likely won’t reach a tenth of that in Poland or even Toronto with it staunch WASP heritage. The major attendance will be from neighboring Central American hardly brimming with spending money

The WYD  Organizing Committee now estimates that during the week that Pope Francis will be in Panama there will be some 250,000 foreign visitors who will inject $41.2 million into the Treasury from taxes airports, ports, hotels, ITBMS, in addition to the massive import taxes that the country will require in those days.

Roberto Alfaro the committee’s collections director estimates that in January there will be an economic flow of approximately $250 million. reflecting investment by the State, the Church, the Organizing Committee and visitor expenditure.

But the organizers face real logistical challenges -among others- to organize the mobilization of visitors, supply the country with food, maintain an adequate availability of drinking water and personal consumption, count on a variety of tour packages and provide good treatment to the traveler. “Otherwise, instead of pushing the country internationally as a tourist destination, it could bury it” says an EFE  News Agency report,

Panama, however, has a limited availability of airline seats.  with 100,000 between the different airlines that arrive at the airports one “Charter planes will land at Albrook and Howard airports, but even so, at most, they will carry  15,000. There is no capacity to receive more than 200,000 “, calculated Alfaro.

In addition to the pilgrims and religious tourists, seven heads of state from neighboring countries have already shown interest in attending the scheduled ceremonies. They will arrive with their respective delegations and will attend bilateral meetings with President, Varela.

Over 4,000 journalists will cover the Pope’s visit but as coverage will be largely concentrated on public events it is unlikely to be a billboard for tourism promotion, leaving expectations focused on social media.