New law regulates signage and nomenclature of tourist destinations sanctioned this Friday will come into force in mid-December.  It will begin with the priority sites identified in the Tourism Master Plan.  The nomenclature and signage of sites of tourist interest has been regulated by Law 437, of June 14, 2024. 

Through this regulation, the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) will be the entity in charge of coordinating with municipalities and community boards the signage of tourist sites.  The process of organizing the urban and tourist nomenclature will be carried out gradually and will begin with those destinations identified in the Sustainable Tourism Master Plan of Panama 2020-2025.  These sites are Bocas del Toro, Boquete, Panama City, Taboga, Pedasí, Tonosí, Portobelo, Santa Isabel, Riviera Pacifica, Santa Catalina, Soná, Coiba, Pacífico Veraguense, Volcán and Tierras Altas. 

The law applies to subway stations, the main stops of the public transportation system and collective public transportation terminals throughout the country.  At the stops, infographics can be placed that highlight the closest attractions and in the subway stations, screens can be placed with videos of the tourist destinations in which their names and distance are distinguished. 

This project was presented on January 31, 2022 by PRD deputy Víctor Castillo and was approved in the third debate on April 15 of this year.  The law must be regulated and will come into force six months after its announcement, in the month of December.