Panama aspires to be gateway for Chinese tourists

PANAMA CITY - Located in the heart of the Americas, Panama aspires to become a gateway to Latin America for Chinese visitors, the country's tourism minister said.

"Due to its strategic location, Panama automatically becomes a gateway to the entire region," Minister Gustavo Him said ahead of a visit to Beijing with a 10-member delegation, including experts in destination marketing.

This week, the Central American country was scheduled to hold its first promotional event in China to attract more travelers from the Asian nation, with which it established diplomatic ties in June.