Get to know 2 destinations for the price of 1
What’s a Stopover?
The word “stopover” has the meaning “long scale” and refers to that time off during a round trip by plane that lasts more than 24 hours.
This stop allows a stay of one night or several days in a city that is usually located in the center of connections of the airline with which you travel.
This practice has been in the industry for over 50 years. One of the pioneering airlines was the Irish “Icelandair” in the 1950s, when it began to offer its travellers the possibility of booking a three-day stopover when travelling to or from major European cities.
Not all airlines have this service so you can let us check. This option must be specified how much time you have before continuing your journey, so we can make you a personalized itinerary.
Economic Benefits to the country
After this initiative, the benefits not only to the airline, but also to the country’s tourism, were notorious.
In Panama the tourism sector represents around 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which represents $4.1 billion in economic contribution, in addition to a 9% increase in jobs in the country.
According to figures provided by the General Comptrollership of the Republic, Migration and Statistics of the Tourism Authority of Panama, the average stay of a visitor in Panama is approximately 8.5 days and spends per stay, a total of 1,787 dollars ($210 daily).
With this type of campaigns both the government and the airline seek to increase these figures and further enhance visits to the country.
New Stopover Campaign for Panama
The Panama Tourism Authority in collaboration with the Tourism Promotion Fund and Copa Airlines began a promotion this month for more tourists to choose Panama as a tourist destination and stay longer in the country.
The president of Copa Airlines, Pedro Heilbron, declared to a national television media “the plan is ready. For the same fare, they can break their trip and spend up to a week in Panama. There will be an advertising campaign in the United States to attract tourists and a one-on-one sales effort with wholesale agencies in South America”.
Initial communication campaign will be recommending to combine destinations such as Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador with Panama because these destinations maintain a great historical, cultural and gastronomic connection between them.
In the case of these airlines you only have to call the reservation center to confirm that you want to make a stopover.
The last stopover campaign carried out by Copa managed to move more than 70,000 passengers and increased the number of passengers to Panama by 14% during the second half of 2013 compared to 2012, exceeding expectations.
Take advantage of this stay
To make the most of this benefit we recommend you follow these steps:
Search for the flight among those with the longest stopovers. The longer the stopover, the greater the chance that the Stopover will be offered by the company.
Plan your trip, especially if it is necessary to obtain a visa for the country of stopover.
Flexibility of schedules and time. Plan the dates for the stopovers with night travel and enjoy the day or extend the dates looking for the cheapest offers in hotels.
Count on the possible incidents that can happen in the stopovers: delay in luggage, loss of it. Taking into account these eventualities, it is essential to take out travel insurance.
Xplore Recommendation
Xplore, as a Destination Management Company and Travel expert have created a small itinerary for these days that you will stay in Panama:
To enjoy a unique experience and enjoy the beauty of the colonial city, we recommend staying in the following exclusive hotels in the Old Town:
American Trade Hotel: built-in 1917 and restored in 2013, is a boutique luxury hotel that perfectly combines the elegance of the old world with a modern and contemporary design.
Central Hotel: Known as the first hotel in the country, it is 150 years old. It offers a sense of historical luxury worth experiencing.
Within the area surrounding the “Casco Antiguo”, you’ll also find places where you can sample the local cuisine. Bar “Pedro Mandinga” offers a variety of national dishes accompanied by the first Panamanian artisan rum “raspadura” (local name for unrefined sugar cane).
Approximately 12 minutes by car you will find the Biodiversity Museum, which maintains 8 galleries that tell the story of the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama and how it changed the climate and biodiversity of the world. This center is located in the Causeway of Amador of which you can also through a bicycle tour with us.
If your itinerary includes more days in the country and you are a nature lover, you can contact us to make a personalized itinerary and practice wildlife observation in any tropical forest, or know one of the architectural wonders of the century, the Panama Canal. It is the ideal trip for those who want to know the complete history, discover the link of cultures, nature and bio-diversity that make the region unique and live a 360° gastronomic experience.
Meet other airlines that perform this service.
– Singapore Airlines: has a stopover in several destinations. For an additional amount, they offer you hotel and other plans.
– Emirates: similar to Singapore Airlines.
– Turkish Airlines: in Istanbul, free of charge.
– Air Canada: for stopovers of more than 6 hours. They offer a hotel with low fares.
– American Airlines: in Miami and New York for flights to and from Europe.
– TAP Portugal: on flights to and from Portugal, departing or arriving in the USA, Africa, and Brazil.
Also, on the list are Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Oman Air, Etihad Airways, Air China, Royal Brunei, Air India, Qatar, Jet Airways and many more.
The Stopover is a new opportunity to extend a vacation without increasing the cost, so do not hesitate and call us to ask about this wonderful option.