This Tuesday morning, the press conference officially announced the launch of the International Surfing Championship that will take place in Playa Paunch, Isla Colón, from July 24 to 30 of this year, organized by the Bocas Surf Crew Association and backed by by the Panama Tourism Authority and PANDEPORTES.
The General Administrator of the ATP, Iván Eskildsen Alfaro, pointed out that "this event is part of the actions that are carried out to promote and publicize this priority destination of the Tourism Master Plan 2020-2025 within the tourism section of adventure, for which we are working hand in hand with the Tourism Office, focused on adapting the facilities and improving the experience for visitors and the local population”.
The event called "Caribbean Open Master Edition", aimed at elite athletes over 35 years of age, is distinguished by the participation of competitors with extensive experience in the sports discipline to whom an invitation from the organizers has been shared, a list that will be given to know in the coming weeks.
Panama is a country recognized for its waves and its surfers in the region, which is why Luis Denis Arce, General Director of Pandeportes, said he was pleased to be part of this event and provide logistical support for its realization. He stressed that this type of sports activities "promote tourism and reactivate the economy in our communities, especially in Bocas del Toro." "We appreciate the interest and investment made by the Tourism Authority to continue encouraging the sport of Surfing in our population and athletes" added the Director.
The ATP has promoted a series of international surfing championships in three of the priority destinations according to the Master Plan: Playa Venao, Santa Catalina, and now Bocas del Toro. The two already held in Playa Venao and Santa Catalina have represented important contributions to economic and social development in each of their versions; the most recent held in Santa Catalina, Veraguas Province, left an economic benefit of more than 2 million dollars and hotel occupancy at 100% capacity, a scenario that is expected to be replicated in this championship.
Although this event will contribute significantly to the promotion of the Bocas del Toro destination, a diversity of projects are also being carried out to consolidate this priority destination, such as: training of tour guides and boaters in July, construction of a trail to Playa Wizard in its final stage; Likewise, the Tourism Office coordinates other projects in the destination, such as the construction of highways in Isla Colón (currently underway), the new electric line that allows the generation of clean energy for the destination (already delivered), among other projects that will contribute to improve the visitor experience in the area.