Europe heads world of travel, Panama 8th in Americas

(PanamaNewsRoom) Panama is ranked 56 countries most attractive for the development of the travel and tourism industry but gets an 8th place in the Americas, according to a report by the World Economic Forum. European countries, Switzerland, Germany and France, head the pack, but China is creeping up. The United States placed first in the Americas, followed by Barbados, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. The tourism competitiveness report was first compiled in 2007, and is a measure of the factors that make a country attractive for tourism-based investments. The good news for Panama is: "After a period of a severe economic crisis, the travel and tourism industry is starting to see positive signs of recovery, especially in the emerging markets of Latin America, Asia and especially China," according to Forum official Thea Chiesa.