Behind every destination you keep seeing in campaigns, there is an organization doing the seeing-to. For Panama, that organization is PROMTUR Panama — the country’s destination marketing organization (DMO), and one of the two institutions that launched the new country brand, “Panamá, Anfitrión del Mundo” (“Panama, Host of the World”), on August 26-27, 2026. If you want to understand how Panama sells itself to the world, PROMTUR is the place to start.
What PROMTUR Panama actually does
A DMO’s job is demand generation: making more of the world want to visit. In practice that means:
- International campaigns that position Panama in key source markets.
- Trade marketing: relationships with tour operators, travel agencies and airlines that package and sell Panama.
- Presence at global travel fairs, where destinations compete for the industry’s attention.
- Media and content work that shapes how journalists and creators portray the country.
PROMTUR promotes; the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) — the government’s tourism authority — handles policy and destination development. The two launched the 2026 brand together, a coordination worth noting because destination marketing often fails in the gap between promotion and policy.
PROMTUR Panama and the new country brand
The August 2026 launch gave PROMTUR its most powerful tool yet: a whole-country identity with a purpose (“to host with generosity and promote prosperity”), four attributes (generosity, connection, diversity, trust) and five pillars (tourism, investment, exports, logistics, sustainability). President José Raúl Mulino backed the launch and announced the strategy will be sent to the National Assembly to become law — meaning PROMTUR can plan campaigns knowing the brand will not be replaced at the next election, a luxury few DMOs enjoy. The previous brand, “Panamá: vive por más,” had only been in market since 2019.
The raw material PROMTUR works with
Destination marketers dream of Panama’s asset list: the Panama Canal; Tocumen Airport as the hub of the Americas with Copa Airlines’ stopover program converting connections into visits; a dollarized economy; a genuine melting-pot culture; two oceans within a day of each other; and carbon-negative status that few countries on Earth can claim. In 2026, add “La Marea Roja” at the World Cup — a global stage no campaign budget could buy.
Why travelers and businesses should care
For travelers, PROMTUR’s work shapes what you hear about Panama — but the experience itself is delivered on the ground, by the country’s hotels, guides and restaurants. You can go straight to that layer through our Discover Panama guides and the events calendar.
For Panamanian businesses, PROMTUR’s campaigns fill the top of the funnel; being findable when those travelers search is your half of the deal. That is exactly what the directory is for — join it here and be visible to the demand the brand is building.
The takeaway
PROMTUR Panama is the voice; the ATP is the policy; the new brand is the message; and the law will be the guarantee. Together they are betting that the world, once properly invited, will keep coming back to its host.
Answer the invitation. Browse the best hotels, restaurants and experiences of the Host of the World in the Panama Digital Directory.
