What Happened
Panama’s tourism sector is calling for stronger security measures and harsher penalties for crimes against visitors after a robbery involving a foreign resident couple on Avenida Balboa sparked concern among hotel operators and tourism leaders.
The National Tourism Chamber of Panama, known as Camtur, said protecting visitors is essential to the country’s competitiveness as a destination. The group argued that safety conditions in key areas of Panama City and the interior must be reinforced to preserve traveler confidence.
Camtur president Nadkyi Duque said the recent robbery should be treated as an isolated case, but one that still raised alarm in the industry. She said work should begin on finding ways to impose more severe penalties for robberies against tourists, warning that crime threatens one of Panama’s core economic assets.
Security and Penalties
Under Panama’s Penal Code, robbery carries prison terms of 7 to 12 years. Robbery aggravated by weapons or violence carries a sentence of 12 to 18 years. Theft, which involves taking property through deception or skill, carries a penalty of 1 to 3 years in prison.
The concern comes as the country continues to track robbery cases nationwide. The Criminal Statistics System has recorded 1,186 robbery cases in 2026, compared with 1,189 in the same period of 2025, showing a similar pace from one year to the next.
Tourism leaders say those numbers, combined with high-profile incidents in visible parts of the capital, can influence how Panama is perceived by international travelers. In a sector where image and confidence matter, even a single incident in a busy tourist zone can shape the broader conversation about safety.
Hotel Sector Response
Víctor Concepción, president of the Panamanian Hotel Association, said some hotel operators in Marbella expressed concern after the robbery. He said the sector has taken precautionary steps and has been advising tourists to avoid situations that could make them easy targets for crime.
Concepción said his group is preparing a plan to present to security authorities, with the goal of increasing police patrols in hotel areas through the Tourism Police. He said Panama remains the safest country in the region and argued that its standing must be protected through visible prevention measures.
What This Means for Tourism
The debate reflects a familiar challenge for Panama: balancing growth in tourism with the need to maintain public safety in high-traffic zones. Places such as Avenida Balboa, Marbella and other well-known urban and hotel districts are central to the visitor experience, making security there especially important.
Authorities and private-sector leaders are now under pressure to show that Panama can protect both residents and visitors while keeping the country attractive for international travel. For the tourism industry, stronger patrols and firmer sanctions are seen as tools to preserve trust in a sector that depends heavily on reputation.
Gloria De León, administrator of the Panama Tourism Authority, said the country remains safe for international visitors, while also acknowledging the need to reinforce security in tourism areas.