PANAMA NEWS:

 

 

$4 Million in Insurance for Tourists

The Executive Office will invest four million dollars in insurance policies for tourists that enter the country through the International Airport of Tocumen.

The funds will come from an additional credit of $10.7 million that the Cabinet Meeting approved on favor of the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP Spanish acronym).

It is a 30-day insurance coverage for contingencies such as diseases and theft against tourists that are in Panama, according to the resolution published on the Official Journal.

The coverage will be included in the travelling packages of all the tourists that choose Panama as destination, which will make Panama the first country of the region to offer this service to tourists for free, according to the ATP.

The insurance premium will be $2 per tourist, which will be taken out from the increase of the airport fee, from $20 to $40, pointed out Salomón Shamah, administrator of the ATP.

Other than coverage against theft, expenses for other services will be included, such as hospital and accidents services and repatriation.

It was suggested that for the death of a tourist the insurance should be $20,000. Shamah explained: “This characteristic will provide with the repatriation service to the tourist, as well as covering the legal expenses”.

The insurance company which will provide this service will be selected through bidding.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance is elaborating the list of characteristics that the insurance companies must have to submit to participate in the bidding.

The deputy administrator of the ATP, Fernando de León Alba, informed that the insurance will also cover locals when travelling to other countries.

Last year a total of 7 thousand tourists went through the airport of Tocumen.

Recently Cuba incorporated a travelers insurance. According to the sources, several countries in Europe have also included this type of insurance for tourists.

The other $6.7 million, of the $10.7 approved by the Cabinet Meeting to the ATP as additional credit are destined to previously acquired commitments with Publicuatro on 2009 to promote Panama through Carnival Corporation, according to the Cabinet´s resolution.

Source: www.prensa.com