Panama is positioning itself more aggressively in the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) segment in 2026, with officials pointing to a growing pipeline of international congresses and conventions designed to increase visitor arrivals and stabilize hotel demand beyond peak vacation seasons. According to figures shared by PROMTUR, Panama has 37 international events confirmed for 2026, with 44 more under negotiation, projecting over 63,000 international attendees, about 262,000 hotel room nights, and an estimated USD $119 million in economic impact.
Why conferences matter more than typical leisure travel
Business event travelers generally concentrate spending into a shorter window and distribute it across multiple service categories – hotel stays, restaurants, local transportation, event logistics, and add-on activities. The Infobae report notes that this visitor profile tends to spend more per day than the average leisure traveler, which is one reason destinations compete aggressively for major congresses.
This push is also tied to performance in 2025. With support from PROMTUR and Panama’s tourism authority, the country hosted around 100 international congresses and conventions in 2025, bringing more than 59,000 international participants, generating about 310,000 room nights, and producing over USD $141 million in estimated tourism income.
How the hospitality industry captures the upside
For hotels and short-stay operators, the main advantage is predictability. Large conventions tend to book blocks of rooms, fill meeting spaces, and drive weekday occupancy, which is often harder to sustain in purely leisure-driven markets. The Infobae piece also highlights how industry voices view conferences as a tool to reduce seasonality in Panama City, where business travel can help offset slower periods.
Restaurants, bars, tour operators, and transportation providers also benefit because conference attendees often extend their activity beyond the venue – business dinners, informal meetings, city touring, and weekend extensions. In practical terms, that can translate into stronger demand in well-located urban areas like Panama City and visitor-heavy neighborhoods such as Casco Viejo, where dining and walkable experiences are part of the typical itinerary.
Incentives and competition are part of the strategy
Panama is not alone in chasing MICE business. The article explains that one competitive lever has been incentives such as venue support (including use of the Panama Convention Center under certain room-night thresholds), an approach commonly used by destinations to reduce organizer costs in exchange for guaranteed overnight stays and local spending.
It is also a long-cycle segment. Tajor international congress can take up to two years, involving technical evaluations, site inspections, and head-to-head bidding with other countries offering infrastructure, air connectivity, and institutional support.
The distribution challenge – benefits still skew toward the capital
One caution raised in the report is that the economic lift remains concentrated in Panama City. Tourism businesses outside the capital have pushed for strategies that encourage attendees to travel before or after events through extensions, curated routes, or packages connecting the capital to beach, mountain, and cultural destinations.
Events and conferences publicly listed for Panama in 2026
The Infobae article does not name the 37 confirmed events individually, but several 2026 conferences are publicly listed on Panama-focused MICE calendars and venue schedules, including:
- Foro Economico Internacional America Latina y El Caribe 2026 – CAF (Jan 28-29, 2026) – Panama Convention Center (Panama Convention Center)
- Congreso Odontologico Istmeno 2026 (Mar 18-20, 2026) – Panama Convention Center (Panama Convention Center)
- Congreso Veterinario de Panama 2026 (Apr 8-10, 2026) – Panama Convention Center (Panama Convention Center)
- WFZO Congress 2026 (May 11-13, 2026) – Panama Convention Center (Panama Convention Center)
- Serandipians 2026 (May 18-21, 2026) – Panama Convention Center (Panama Convention Center)
- 10th Americas Ground Handling International Conference (Jun 2-4, 2026) – Panama Convention Center (Panama Convention Center)
- FIEXPO LATAM 2026 (Jun 8-11, 2026) – listed on Meetings Panama calendar (Meetings Panama)
- World of Coffee Panama 2026 (Oct 23-25, 2026) – listed on Meetings Panama calendar (Meetings Panama)
- ICCA Congress 2026 (Nov 8-11, 2026) – Panama City, official ICCA event page (Home)
Casa Solution note
If you are planning a move to Panama, scouting neighborhoods, or evaluating where demand is strongest for long stays and short stays, Casa Solution can help you understand location dynamics and on-the-ground logistics with straightforward, local guidance.
Written on January 25, 2026
