What is Panama’s new country brand? On August 26, 2026, at the Amador Convention Center, the government launched “Panama, Anfitrion del Mundo” (Panama, Host of the World), a national brand representing the country abroad across five areas rather than promoting tourism alone.
The brand was developed by Promtur Panama and the Autoridad de Turismo de Panama (ATP).
What Are the Five Pillars?
According to the ATP, the brand integrates five areas: tourism, investment, exports, culture, and sustainability.
Earlier promotional efforts ran as separate programs, including tourism campaigns, the Hecho en Panama export brand, and investment attraction. The ATP describes the new brand as a single platform serving all five areas.
How Was It Developed?
The ATP describes more than a year of work behind the launch, including perception studies and consultations with public sector, private sector, and civil society representatives inside and outside Panama.
Promtur general manager Salomon Shamah has described the result as a strategic platform rather than a single advertising campaign.
Will It Survive the Next Government?
President Jose Raul Mulino said the brand does not belong to a government, adding: “it belongs to Panama and all Panamanians.” The government intends to submit the strategy to the National Assembly to be enacted as a law of the Republic, which would require future administrations to maintain it.
The ATP has said governance mechanisms are still being built, including administration and protection rules, licensing protocols governing who may use the brand, and an ambassador program.
Where Does Panama Currently Rank?
In the Global Soft Power Index 2026, Panama ranked 65th of 193 countries and fifth in Latin America.
| Latin American ranking | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil |
| 2 | Argentina |
| 3 | Mexico |
| 4 | Chile |
| 5 | Panama |
Soft power indexes measure familiarity, reputation, and influence rather than economic size.
What Does It Cost?
Press reporting on the launch puts the investment at $6.5 million, funded by Promtur under a two-year contract covering research, design, implementation, and deployment.
That figure does not appear in the ATP’s own announcement, which published no budget, visitor targets, or economic projections. Some outlets have reported specific visitor and economic-impact goals. Those figures should be treated as press reporting rather than official targets until the ATP or Promtur publishes them directly.
Why a Brand Instead of a Campaign?
Tourism administrator Gloria de Leon framed the reasoning around perception, noting that a country which does not define itself leaves that definition to others.
Panama’s international recognition is concentrated on the Canal. The country also includes highland coffee towns such as Boquete, the Pacific beaches near Panama City, the Caribbean islands of Bocas del Toro, a large financial sector, and one of the most internationally connected airports in the Americas.
What Happens Next?
The ATP has not published a rollout calendar. The brand’s effect will depend on consistent use by ministries, embassies, exporters, hotels, and private companies, and on whether the National Assembly grants it the legal standing the government has requested.
Panama has introduced country branding efforts before without that continuity. This is the first presented alongside a plan intended to outlast the administration that created it.
Article written: August 28, 2026
