Another reason to visit Panama besides the Canal

If asked why you should go to Panama, the first thing most people think of is the Panama Canal. It is an engineering marvel, considered the 8th wonder of the world. Panama is in Central America joining North America at the top and South America at the bottom. It is a narrow strip of land with Costa Rica at its northern end and Colombia at it southern end. The Canal was excavated through one of the narrowest areas of the land thereby opening a waterway uniting the Pacific Ocean at the west side to the Atlantic Ocean at the east side providing a passage and shorter route for vessels and cargoes transiting the two oceans. Hence, Panama is often known as “The Bridge of the World.”

The Canal has been instrumental in transforming Panama into a booming metropolis with soaring skyscrapers running for miles along its coastline. As important and famous as the Canal is, Panama boasts of many other attractions: outdoor adventures – bio-diverse tropical rain forests, mountains, miles of ocean; historic ruins and living Indian cultures; world-class infrastructure and tourism amenities. But there is yet another that we would consider an attraction but fewer may be aware of nor officially listed and promoted because to do so, will turn it into a case of the promoter being promoted. Can you think of that something?

If you are a mister pageant fanatic, you might have guessed it right. It is the Panama hosted, tourism oriented pageant – Mister Tourism International. Every year in Panama, close as many as twenty contestants from around the world come together for the annual event. Organizers have set their sights on bringing the world to Panama through this international event not only in terms of delegates but also tourists and pageant following as well.  

Born in 2001 but with intermittent implementation in earlier years, the pageant has produced six winners so far, four from Americas and two from Europe. The current winner is the Brazilian Andrio Frazon.

This year Mister Tourism International World Finals is slated for October 19-25 and heaping up a sizable number of eye-catching tourism ambassadors. With the competition shaping up and expectations of bigger and grander staging in the coming years, Panama should definitely be on your short list of places to visit and revisit.