business & economy

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US Embassy, businesses put on USA travel expo at the Sheraton

Take your vacation in the USA this year

photos by Eric Jackson

The events of September 11, 2001 and the developments that followed were a mixed blessing for the US tourism industry. In the short run people who would take vacations outside of the country were afraid to travel abroad so switched to US destinations.

On the other hand, visas to visit the United States became harder to come by, foreign visitors often found the reception they got from zealous government officials at the ports of entry and the frightened citizenry in general somewhat less than friendly and the foreign tourist became a threatened species on the American landscape. The loss of foreign customers proved to be a big hardship for much of the US tourism industry.

And thus on the Fourth of July the US Embassy here sponsored an expo to promote the United States as a tourist destination. This reporter didn't encounter huge crowds, but there were people who turned up to see what the USA and its associated commonwealth of Puerto Rico have to offer the visitor.

US-RP free trade rushes to ratification here, still uncertain in USA
First big canal expansion contract goes to canal administrator's relatives
Trying to attract tourists back to the USA

Persistent poverty
The Panama News readership figures
Business & Economy Briefs