Approximately 400 tour operators, travel agents and industry suppliers participated in TREX 2005, the 7th Annual Travel Exchange Central America Fair in the Caribbean city of Colón.

The tourist attractions of the province of Colón, a region that encompasses a number of Spanish colonial fortifications in the midst of prime coastal Caribbean settings, were especially highlighted during the event, which was hosted by the Colón Chamber of Commerce at the Meliá Panama Canal Hotel.

TREX 2005 was three events in one: a Tour operator "marketplace"; a series of travel agent seminars and a travel exposition promoting all Central American services and destinations.

TREX Central America was created and is managed by William H. Coleman, Inc., a worldwide event management firm with offices in Jacksonville, Toronto and London.

Panama’s Royal Decameron Beach Resort and Copa Airlines recently signed a marketing and sales agreement to target destinations in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, with emphasis in Buenos Aires, Ecuador, San Juan and Sao Paulo. The goal of the first phase of the program is to foster the arrival of 35,000 visitors with an innovative list of packages and special promotions.

Owned by a large, Colombian-owned international consortium, Hotel Decameron is Panama’s most successful beach resort. It is located on Costa Blanca, in the province of Coclé, approximately two hours from Panama City. Its partner, Copa Airlines, has been in the business for over 50 years and flies to over 30 destinations in 21 countries.

From left to right: Julio Kellman, Commercial Director of Grupo Decameron; Felipe Fábrega, Commercial Director of Copa Airlines; Lucio Mancilla, President of Grupo Decameron; and Tomás Sossa, former Deputy Manager of IPAT.

Mrs. Ulla de Carbón, accompained by Mr. Matthias Kock, General Director of Air France for Central America and Mexico.

Matthias Koch, General Director of Air France for Central America and Mexico, recently announced that, as of April 1 of this year, Pan Alliance, Inc. will act as General Sales Agent for both companies, which merged earlier this year.

Pan Alliance is headed by Mrs. Ulla V. de Carbón, who served as sales manager for KLM in Panama for over 25 years. The company’s offices are located on Avenida Balboa and Calle Aquilino De La Guardia, Edificio Galerías Balboa (tel. 264-63 95/ Fax 264-6358)

Both KLM and Air France operate flights to and from Panama through the SkyTeam U.S. carriers Continental Airlines and Delta Airlines, respectively.

Panama’s Colón 2000 cruise port was recently declared "the most efficient luxury ship facility in the Americas" by prestigious international magazine Dream World Cruise Destination. The publication, which belongs to the Euromoney Institutional Investor consortium, placed Colón 2000 in the same category as the port of Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Valencia (Spain) and Stockholm, Sweden, presently considered the best in the world.

According to Steve Tarazi, General Manager of Colón 2000, the distinction is the result of a thorough evaluation of the port’s infrastructure as well as the governmental and private-sector services that operate in its premises.

Opened almost five years ago, Colón 2000 is located near the Caribbean terminus of the Panama Canal. Built on a landfill on the coast of the city of Colón, the port has helped to revive the country’s passenger/cruise ship industry, which had halted in the 1960’s. The facility averages a total of 60 calls per season, representing Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, P&O, Explorer and Holland American Lines.

Since its opening, Colón 2000 has received over 750,000 people, both passengers and crew.