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“It has always been my dream to become a Carnival Queen; i’ve waited for this moment my whole life. It’s a great responsibility for me, to symbolize my people within the role,” explains Virginia Hernández, the holder of the title in 2013, from her dressing room on the Hotel El Panamá.

Much as to be expected, one might think. But Carnival in Panama is anything but what one might expect.

Government sponsored, the development is designed to behave as a world calling card for the destination, showcasing the right of what it has to give here to eager overseas visitors. Investment runs to $3 million annually, as politicians placed on a celebration they hope will draw crowds from around the globe.

Thousands dutifully attend, with 15,000 international visitors on the town over the Carnival period. The figure has doubled in recent times, because the government channels funds from the renationalised Panama Canal into overseas advertising.

Key markets for the yearly event include developing nations in Latin America – Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia to illustrate – but in addition America and Europe, with a couple of German, English and Dutch voices audible when strolling between stages.

They join nearly half one million Panamanians as they party within the streets within the four days within the building up to Ash Wednesday.

Though sometimes the party starts a little bit earlier, it usually ends on Tuesday. Panamanians consult with Carnival as ‘los carnavales’, with the complete country shutting down for the celebration.

State Actors

The Panamanian government has paid for the Carnival for a variety of years.

However, in 2010 the non-public sector was permitted to take over the operation of the development. This proved unsuccessful, with the national authorities forced to step in to pay bills of over $500,000 left outstanding. Following this, the govt retook control of the Panama City Carnival, while smaller towns still organise their very own events.

Funding is in place until at the very least 2014, when a general election might even see a transformation of presidency and subsequent alteration in priorities. 

“It is a Panamanian party for Panamanians, but, with the ministry of tourism now supporting it, we’re looking to make the Carnival a tourism product,” explains tourism minister Salomon Shamah. “We hope this event will make headlines worldwide, bringing visitors to Panama.”

“This, as with the entire tourism industry in Panama, remains to be a piece in progress. While Carnival was here since 1910, we only realised we were a tourism destination a decade or so ago.

“Since then we now have been working hard to reinforce our image, however it takes time.”

Shamah adds: “The Carnival continues to be a brand new product. Panamanians are still sceptical about it. Every village claims to have the greatest carnival, so we need to live as much as those expectations here within the capital. We have to be no less than nearly as good as them.”

Perhaps second guessing journalists, the minister can be quick to downplay concerns over safety.

“This is something that’s very safe, but concurrently very exotic,” he explains.

In the 3 years the Carnival was in its present location on Cantu Costera, a lush park area overlooking the bay, there were few “serious incidents” he adds – perhaps due to 2,000 plus cops, supported by soldiers, marshalling the development.

For the People

Panama itself is marketing itself as a high-end destination. Boutiques line the streets, while the hotels – including the luxurious Panama Bristol – rival those anywhere in Latin America.

Internationally Panama City competes against Cartagena and Bogotá in Columbia for metropolitan guests, while Antigua and Costa Rica compete for beach tourists.

But the Carnival is deliberately for the working people of Panama.

“The Carnival in Panama is different to these in Rio de Janeiro, as an example. Here you’re portion of the Carnival, in quite a few other places you’re merely a spectator. Here, you’re the Carnival,” explains minister Shamah.

“This is a free product, something we do for the folks. It can be aimed toward the poor people.”

To this end your entire entertainment is free, while street traders sell American beer for a reasonable dollar a can. There also are only a few VIP areas, putting events on a degree footing,

Those who can, however, visit Miami to buy during Carnival, showing a undeniable loss of patriotism. But, with everything on the town closed for the four day duration, it’s perhaps understandable.

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Trickle Down

Carnival offers the govt. an avenue to spread the wealth generated by the return of the Panama Canal. Returned to the domestic government from American control in 1999, the wealth generated by the country’s most renowned asset is slowly trickling all the way down to the folk.

A new subway is being in-built Panama City, while the variety of gleaming skyscrapers under construction inside the financial district rivals the boom years in Dubai.

The economy have been growing faster here than in every other Latin American country for the past three years, with growth averaging nearly nine per cent a year for 6 years.

This means, though it lies in Central America, the poorest and most violent region inside the West, the three.6 million citizens of Panama at the moment are richer than most Latin Americans.

Money has also found its way into tourism, with Visit Panama working flat out to spice up the country’s international profile.

“We are finding our way into the conscience of the area, we’re attending to be a recognised as a valid tourism destination,” adds Shamah.

“We are learning from other country’s mistakes. We started late as a tourism destination. We didn’t realise what we had. But now we’re growing, it means more jobs, more opportunities.”

They are being supported by the general public sector, with airlift growing to maintain pace with demand.

KLM offers an immediate daily service out of Schipol in Amsterdam, while Iberia flies five times every week out of Madrid. Both Air France and Lufthansa also are believed to be in negotiations to open new routes in early 2014.

Charter flights are another growth area, with Condor recently stepping up its operations.

However, British visitors usually are facing lengthy transfers in Madrid for a while to come back.

American visitors face a less complicated ride, with Delta offering daily non-stop services between Atlanta and Panama on a new Boeing 737-800.

Panama, not least the Carnival, is growing in stature on he world stage, with next year’s Queen set to have much more subjects.

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