

Many people are aware of the incredible growth in tourism, especially ecotourism the Costa Rica enjoyed in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Although tourism is actually declining in Costa Rica (a 15% decrease in each of the last two years) (1) their earlier success brought about a heightened awareness of Central America to North Americans and Europeans. Even with the decline in tourism, investment in Costa Rica continues to increase, a healthy sign for all of Central America. While Panama’s beauty and value are still a secret, the secret does seem to be getting out. The number of tourists visiting Panama in 1996 increased by 21% to approximately 400,000(2). There are several reasons why I believe this trend will continue: