Panama Offers
Vaccine for Free to Boost Tourism
Panama will
offer AstraZeneca vaccine to foreign tourists from 1st October onwards, as part
of a broader strategy aimed at boosting its tourism sector, a major pillar of
the country’s economy.
Source:
Nearshore Americas
Foreigners
looking for vaccines will have to stay at least two nights at a hotel
registered with Panama Tourism Authority.
After the
first dose, tourists will have to wait for three months to get the second jab,
stated the government.
Around two
million foreigners visit Panama annually, with the sector accounting for 15% of
the country’s economy.
Panama is
looking to attract tourists from neighboring countries rather than the United
States and Canada, where a large majority of residents have already been
vaccinated fully.
“Panama seeks
to attract tourists from Central America, the Caribbean, and South America,”
reported Reuters quoting an unnamed source as saying.
No matter
which country the tourists come from, they must spend at least three days in
isolation upon landing in the country.
The government
hopes that the initiative may revive more than 100,000 jobs in the tourism
sector alone, injecting US$125 million into the country’s economy.