Everything you need to know that happened in the last 2 months in Panama.

Each day we sift through hundreds of articles in English & Spanish to bring you the very best ones from Central America. From investment indicators to new infrastructure projects. Adventure stories to politics. It’s all here.

Panama February 2014.

Viva Tropical

Panama Lifestyle

Panama named best place in the world to retire (NY Daily News)

The folks over at AARP, the New York Daily News and USA Today have been pointing south to Panama as the world’s top choice for where to think about retiring overseas.

Top 10 Reasons to Live, Work and Retire in Panama (Newswire)

But if you need more than one reason to take the plunge and move overseas, here are 10 Reasons to Live, Work and Retire in Panama.

Panama: A Real Estate Alternative to Costa Rica (Costa Rica Star)

If 10 reasons were not enough, did you know that Panama has over taken Costa Rica as a top retirement destination?

Dssasso

Panama Investment

Panama – the Latin American business hub? (Global Legal Post)

Panama is fast emerging as a business hub in Latin America with many incentives for companies to set up in the region.

Panama seeks to be international arbitration center (Panama America translated by Google)

Recently, Panama approved a law to regulate domestic and international arbitration. This will allow Panama to position itself as an international arbitration center. Just one more example of how Panama is positing itself as a desired home for global businesses.

Investment in Oil in Puerto Armuelles, Panama (AB Panama)

Once home to the Chiquita Banana Company, and a bustling economic center, the now sleepy port town of Puerto Armuelles (Chiriqui Provence) is being courted by Qatar as the spot for a possible oil refinery in Panama.

Deadline to resolve Panama Canal expansion receives extension to Feb. 1 (Tico Times)

Finally there is the on-again, off-again, Panama Canal Expansion which is facing major budget overruns. For now, work on expanding the Panama Canal will continue after the construction consortium officially extended the deadline until Feb. 1 to resolve a dispute over $1.6 billion in cost overruns.

Royal Caribbean

Panama Tourism

Celebrating 100 years on the Panama Canal (Travel Weekly)

There is going to be a big party in Panama this year, and you should make plans to attend the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal.

Practically every cruise line has one trip scheduled through the 48-mile Panama Canal, which is a bucket-list item for many cruisers, especially Americans.

Copa Airlines to offer service from Fort Lauderdale to Panama (Miami Herald)

Getting to Panama is about to get even easier. Copa Airlines is to begin service between Fort Lauderdale and Panama City, Panama, in July 2014. Flights will depart Fort Lauderdale on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Airlines Include Panama in Plans (La Prensa – Translated by Google)

If Copa connections were not enough, even more airlines are coming to Panama. TAP, BlueSky and Aeromexico are all negotiating flight connections from Portugal, Grand Cayman, and Mexico City to Panama’s Tocumen International Airport.

Tourism manager wants to cap Panama dengue reports (Today Panama)

But the tourism sector has been a casualty to the epidemic of dengue in Panama, as several large-scale package tours that were bound for Panama have been cancelled.

Tourist arrivals exceeds the expected target in 2013 (Panama America Translated by Google)

Even with these cancellations, Panama’s 2013 tourism statistics speak for themselves. In 2013, 2.27 million visitors came to Panama, stayed an average of 9.3 days and spent $168 per day.

Noel Maurer

Panama Economy

Panama’s Economy Will Grow Over 5 Percent In 2014, Making It The Fastest Growing Economy In Latin America (International Business Times)

Panama’s economy is expected to grow over 5% in 2014, making Panama the fastest growing economy in Latin America.

What’s pushing this economic powerhouse along?

First, the Panama Canal is knee-deep in a $3.2 billion expansion, even with the Canal’s budget hiccups and pushed back budget deadlines, it is going full steam ahead.

PANAMA GDP ANNUAL GROWTH RATE (Trading Economics)

Second, Panama saw its GDP rise 5.57%, and is expected to repeat the performance in 2014, according to Trading Economics. But the International Monetary Fund is even more optimistic, calculating Panama’s GDP growth at 6.9%, the highest in the whole of Latin America.

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