Just found the following press release from Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide:
Cooperations and alliances are consolidated to attend the touristic demand of European travelers visiting Panama.
The recent note about the resumption of the flights of the Dutch Airline KLM is just the beginning of a large chain of strategies, which are actually developed by the Panamanian Institute of Tourism IPAT. The aim is to be prepared to attend the important demand shown by the European market.
From the 30th of March 2008 KLM will offer attention to the important European market with direct flights from the Airport Schiphol in Amsterdam to the Airport of Tocumen in Panama.
“We admit that the initiation of new flight-connections is an important priority and one of the clearly defined targets for the IPAT. That’s the reason why the firm business establishment with KLM is a fundamental step”, explained Carl-Fredrik Nordström, Vice-minister of the IPAT.
Considering the inversion of 30% of the entire advertising budget for the European market, IPAT is aware that Panama is attracting the attention of important niches in the European continent and that the implemented flight contingents will guarantee the arrival and departure of these new tourists.
The signature of a valuable agreement about shared flight codes between KLM Airlines and COPA Airlines is another important step in the touristic development. The clients of both Airlines can use the extensive reds of flights from the Hub of the Americas at the Airport of Tocumen in Panama and its counterpiece, the airport Schiphol in Amsterdam.
Furthermore all members of the programs “Flying Blue” and “One Pass” have the possibility to collect miles with all their flights.
Statistics indicate that every year about 87.350 European visitors, spending an average between US-$ 650 and US-$ 700, are coming to Panama.
For more information please contact
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Tobias Rautenberg
+56-2-596-9200
ogilvy.pr.chile@gmail.com
gustavo.venegas@ogilvy.com
Yes, the future is bright for the Panamanian tourism industry, and the addition of the KLM route is a very important step into the right direction as it opens up Panama to many Northern European visitors who prefer to save time by not going through Spain (Iberia).
However, this press release reads a bit like a machine translation… I would have expected better from Ogilvy & Co., who are otherwise an excellent PR agency and certainly a good choice to spread the message about Panama.
