The European Union (EU) is Panama's main trading partner, after the United States. When the Association Agreement between the EU and Central America comes into force, it will bring many benefits for exporters in both regions.

German investors are interested in purchasing the specialty coffee grown by farmers in the districts of Renacimiento and Boquete in the province of Chiriquí, who would benefit from this sale.

Over the first 10 months of the year there was a 48% increase in the number of 'day visitors', those tourists who stay in the country for less than 24 hours.

A report by Fitch Ratings highlights the good performance of the regional systems from 2010 to 2012.

Panama was admitted as a participating country in the Kimberley Process Certification System (KPCS), which places the country in the position of a hub to potentially sell rough diamonds, in order to take advantage of its geographical position, connectivity and legal and financial stability within all of Latin America.

The Spanish Minister of Development, Ana Pastor, today began a two-day visit to Brazil to emphasize the interest of Spanish companies in the infrastructure and transportation projects that the South American giant will undertake in the coming years.

Tour operators are seeking to stimulate foreigners' interest in visiting the countryside by improving the hotels, training staff and facilitating access to sites with potential for tourism.

Studies conducted by the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) show that only 15% of foreign visitors take a trip to interior provinces.

The capital of Veragüas is becoming aware of its position as an obligatory stop-over and meeting place within Panama's interior provinces.

"We can not keep building more strips of warehouses in Santiago" was how the resident and businessman Virgilio Athanasiadis summarized the investment of over $14 million made by the hotel industry in this provincial capital.

Newland International Properties Corp., the developing company of Trump Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower, announced that it reached an agreement with Sun International to operate the 75,000 square feet (7,200 square meters) of space reserved for the casino.

The Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) will participate in the 2012 Telethon 20-30 at position 41 and will donate $40,000 during the closing round on Saturday, December 15.

ATP officials have developed additional activities to support this telethon, which will be held at the Atlapa Convention Center starting on Friday, December 14.