DOCSLIB.ORG

Panama: Locking in Success

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Panama: Locking in Success Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized PANAMA: LOCKING IN SUCCESS A SYSTEMATIC COUNTRY DIAGNOSTIC Public Disclosure Authorized JANUARY 16, 2015 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the members of the Panama Country Team from all Global Practices and IFC, as well as all the partners and stakeholders in Panama, who have contributed to the preparation of this document in a strong collaborative process. (A full description of this process is found in Annex 1). We are very grateful for the generosity exhibited in providing us with substantive inputs, knowledge and advice, particularly given the time limitations. The team is co-led by Friederike (Fritzi) Koehler-Geib (Sr. Economist) and Kinnon Scott (Sr. Economist). Ayat Soliman (Program Leader) provided overall coordination. In addition, the following people provided substantive inputs and guidance: Humberto Lopez (Country Director), Frank Sader (Principal Strategy Officer), Louise J. Cord (Practice Manager), Auguste Tano Kouame (Practice Manager), Maryanne Sharp (Country Operations Adviser), Oscar Calvo- Gonzalez (Program Leader), and Kathy A. Lindert (Program Leader). Peer reviewers are: Pablo Fajnzylber, Practice Manager; David Gould, Lead Economist; and Jennifer J. Sara, Director. The table below identifies the full list of team members that have contributed their time, effort and expertise, and their affiliations. CMU/Global Practice/Cross Team Member Cutting Solution Area/IFC Agriculture Irina I. Klytchnikova, Norman Bentley Piccioni Caribbean CMU Francisco Galrao Carneiro Central America CMU Jovana Stojanovic, Kathy A. Lindert, Mary Rose Parrish, Maria del Camino Hurtado, Oscar Calvo-Gonzalez, Anabela Abreu, Sara Paredes Ponce, Meilyn Gem, Michelle Mccue, Sonia Molina, Desiree Gonzales Climate Change Luiz T. A. Maurer Education Rita Almeida Energy and Extractives Fernando Javier Anaya Amenabar, Javier Aguilar, Mark Lambrides, Susana Moreira Environment and Natural Carter J. Brandon, Karen I. Martinez Ona, Klas Sander Resources Finance and Markets Ana Fiorella Carvajal, Rekha Reddy Global Partnerships Ashruf Mohammad Megahed Governance Diego R. Dorado Hernandez, Francisco Lazzaro, Svetlana I. Proskurovska Health, Nutrition and Population Carmen Carpio, Christine Lao Pena IFC Angela M. Fonseca Arango, Eduardo Wallentin, Gabriel B. Goldschmidt, Irene Arias, Luv Jhangimal Khemchand, Sofia Stefanelli LAC Chief Economist Office Jaime R. de Pinies Bianchi Macroeconomics and Fiscal Jennifer Keller, Diana M. Lachy Castillo, Miguel Angel Saldarriaga Noel, Management Rong Qian, Silvia Gulino, Susana M. Sanchez, Jennifer Keller Poverty Mateo Salazar Rodriguez, Liliana Sousa, Bernarda Erazo Social Protection and Labor Edmundo Murrugarra, Emma M. Monsalve Montiel, Pablo Ariel Acosta Trade and Competitiveness Alejandro Espinosa-Wang, Jose Eduardo Gutierrez Ossio, Transport and ICT Lincoln Flor, Shomik Mehndiratta, Doyle Galegos Treasury Concepcion Aisa Otin, Hector Ibarra Pando Urban, Rural and Social Armando Guzman Escobar, Agustin Maria, Carmen Bernardo Garcia, Catalina Development Marulanda, Dianna M. Pizarro, Kimberly Vilar, Yoonhee Kim, Luis-Felipe Dulchicela, Ramon Anria i Water Antonio M. Rodriguez Serrano, Carmen Rosa Yee-Batista, Charles Delfieux, Elvira Cusiqoyllor Broeks Motta, Laura Maratou-Kolias, Miguel Vargas Ramirez ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ACP Panama Canal Authority ANAM National Environmental Authority ASEP National Authority of Public Services (Autoridad Nacional de Servicios Públicos) CBI Panamanian Centro Bancario Internacional CEDLAS Center for Distributive and Social Studies CGE Computable General Equilibrium CND National Dispatch Center DISAPAS Directorate of Water and Sanitation of the Ministry of Health DICRE Dirección de Inversiones, Concesiones y Riesgos del Estado. DIPORP National Integrated Development Plan of the Indigenous Peoples of Panama ECLAC Economic Commission for LAC EML Encuesta de Mercado Laboral ENASSER Encuesta Nacional de Salud Sexual y Reproductiva ETESA National Electricity Transmission Company FARC Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GMM General Method of Moments IBC International Banking Center IDB Inter-American Development Bank IDAAN National Water Supply and Sanitation Administration IFC International Finance Corporation ILO International Labor Organization IMF International Monetary Fund INEC National Institute of Statistics and Census IPCC International Panel on Climate Change IRHE Institute of Water and Electrification LAC Latin America and the Caribbean LAPOP Latin American Public Opinion Project LSCI Liner Shipping Connectivity Index MAPAS Monitoring Country Progress in Water Supply and Sanitation MDG Millennium Development Goal MEF Ministry of Economy and Finance MICI Ministry of Commerce and Energy MINSA Ministry of Health OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development PAHO Pan American Health Organization PCW Panama Canal Watershed PISA Program for International Student Assessment SCD Systematic Country Diagnostic SEDLAC Socio-Economic Data Base data base for Latin America and the Caribbean SEM Sedes de empresas multinacionales ii SIEPAC Sistema de Interconexión Eléctrica de los Países de América Central SSEIR Social Sector Expenditure and Institutional Review UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNDP United Nations Development Program UNHR United Nations Human Rights UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime U.S. United States USG United States Government WDI World Development Indicators WBES World Bank Enterprise Surveys WEO World Economic Outlook WSS Water and Sanitation Services iii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Executive Summary................................................................................................................. 1 The Nature of Growth in Panama ............................................................................................... 1 Inclusion and Economic Growth ................................................................................................. 2 Sustainability: Economic, Social and Environmental ................................................................. 4 Priority Areas and Complementarities ........................................................................................ 6 Knowledge Gaps ......................................................................................................................... 6 II. Poverty and Shared Prosperity in Panama............................................................................... 8 III. The Nature of Panama’s Economic Growth .......................................................................... 18 The Canal and Trends in World Trade ...................................................................................... 18 The Impact of the Canal on Growth in Specific Sectors ........................................................... 21 The Increasing Role of Public Investment ................................................................................ 28 FDI and Private Investment ....................................................................................................... 28 Panama’s Stable Macroeconomic Environment ....................................................................... 32 Outlook ...................................................................................................................................... 33 IV. Prioritization Linked to Growth ............................................................................................ 35 Prioritization Process ................................................................................................................. 35 Benchmarking the Determinants of Growth ............................................................................. 36 a. Cross Country Benchmarking ........................................................................................ 36 b. Perception Data .............................................................................................................. 39 c. Firm-Level Micro Data .................................................................................................. 39 d. Synthesis......................................................................................................................... 40 Priority Areas ............................................................................................................................ 40 Identified Opportunities ............................................................................................................ 47 V. Inclusiveness of Panama’s Growth ....................................................................................... 51 Positive Trends .......................................................................................................................... 52 Limitations of Growth’s Effects ................................................................................................ 54 Drivers of Poverty Reduction .................................................................................................... 62 VI. Prioritization Linked to Inclusion .......................................................................................... 68 Benchmarking ........................................................................................................................... 68 Priority Area .............................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • What Becomes of Boquete: Transformation, Tension, and the Consequences Of
    What Becomes of Boquete: Transformation, Tension, and the Consequences of Residential Tourism in Panama A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Erik S. Myers August 2009 © 2009 Erik S. Myers. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled What Becomes of Boquete: Transformation, Tension, and the Consequences of Residential Tourism in Panama by ERIK S. MYERS has been approved for the Department of Geography and the College of Arts and Sciences by Brad D. Jokisch Associate Professor of Geography Benjamin M. Ogles Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT MYERS, ERIK S., M.A., August 2009, Geography Becoming Boquete: Transformation, Tension, and the Consequences of Residential Tourism in Panama (118 pp.) Director of Thesis: Brad D. Jokisch As over 76 million U.S. baby boomers prepare for retirement, Latin American countries are poised to experience increasing numbers of foreign leisure and retirement migrants. Comparatively wealthy ‘residential tourists’ from the U.S. have already transformed parts of Latin America. Meanwhile, national incentive policies, media coverage, and aggressive online marketing continue to attract international residents to an increasing number of destinations. Boquete, Panama has experienced a particularly rapid emergence as a destination, and may exemplify a new model of residential tourism development. Using qualitative data from on-site interviews, this thesis will discuss a range of issues and concerns experienced and articulated by local residents of distinct socioeconomic backgrounds. By incorporating a web-based marketing content analysis, this thesis will also argue that rapid, Internet-propelled development has attracted complex and dynamic international residents.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion in Panama
    Religion in Panama Country Summary Although the Republic of Panama, which is about the size of South Carolina, is now considered part of the Central American region, until 1903 the territory was a province of Colombia. The Republic of Panama forms the narrowest part of the isthmus and is located between Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east. The Caribbean Sea borders the northern coast of Panama, and the Pacific Ocean borders the southern coast. Panama City is the nation’s capital, which contains about 40 percent of the nation’s population. The country has an area of 30,193 square miles (75,417 square km) and a population of 3.3 million (2008). Racially, the majority of the population is considered mestizo (70 percent, mixed Amerindian and Hispanic), while the rest are West Indian (14 percent, Afro-Caribbean), Amer- indian (8 percent), Caucasian (6 percent) and Asian/other (2 percent). The Amerindian popu- lation (285,230 in 2000) includes eight ethnolinguistic groups: the Guaymí (Ngöbe-Buglé), Kuna, Choco (Emberá-Wounaan), Teribe (Naso), Bokota and Bribri. In 2000, about 80 percent of the population were Spanish-speaking, about 9 percent were speakers of Asian or Middle Eastern languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindustani, Hebrew and Arabic), 8.3 percent were Amerindian (speakers of eight languages), and 3.7 percent were English-speaking (mainly West Indian and North American). However, many Panamanians are bilingual, especially in Spanish and English (Standard English and Western Caribbean Creole English). There is also a small population of “Negros Congos” who speak an Afro-Hispanic Creole, especially on the Caribbean coast of Colón province.
    [Show full text]
  • About Panama
    Panama The Republic of Panama is located in the center of the Western Hemisphere under the following coordinates: 7º12’07" and 9º38’46" North, 77º09’24" and 83º03’07" West. Its Borders are: to the North, the Caribbean Sea; to the East, the Republic of Colombia; to the South with the Pacific Ocean and to the West with the Republic of Costa Rica. Panama is the link between Central America and South America, constituting an isthmus of 80 km. wide in its narrower section. Official Name: Republic of Panama. Capital: Panama City. Nationality: Panamanian. Area, Population and Density: 75,517 square Km; the total population is 2,839,177, 81 persons/square mi. Age Distribution (%): 0‐14 years 37.0%, 15‐59 years 56.3%, 60+ years 6.7% Political Division: 9 provinces and 5 indigenous communities. Government: constitutional democracy, centralized Republic Legal System: based on the civilian legal system, judicial revision of legislative acts in the Supreme Court. Accepting international tribunal jurisdiction, except in some instances. Language: the official language is Spanish. However, many Panamanians speak English. Literacy Rate: 90% Weather: Panamanian weather is tropical, and uniform throughout the year. The average temperature is 27 degrees C. Religion: there is an absolute freedom of Religion in Panama. Most Panamanians are Roman Catholic. However, due to the diversity in the country, you can find all kinds of temples of worship throughout the country. Time Zone: the time in Panama all year long is the same as the EST (GMT ‐5). We do not observe Daylight Savings Time. Currency: the U.
    [Show full text]
  • Spring 2020 Connections
    Pandemic QCC Respiratory Students Give Brings Wyvern Care Grads Help Legislators Nation Top Medical Insight Into Together Professionals Their QCC Lives Page 6 Page 20 Page 22 Volume 12, Issue 1 QCC THE PUBLICATION FOR FRIENDS AND ALUMNI OF QUINSIGAMOND COMMUNITY COLLEGE The Power of Perseverance — Page 9 Expanded content available at www.QCC.edu/connections-sp20 Volume 12, Issue 1 2020 in this issue Managing Director Featured Josh Martin Editor Pandemic Brings Wyvern Nation Together . 6 Karen Hutner Ultimate Golf Raffle Takes a Swing at Raising Funds for Students in Need . 8 Photographers Hillarie Jason QCC’s the Right Prescription for Alumna John Solaperto Laurence Fankep . 9 Leon Granados Governor Baker Launches Multi-Million Career Technical Initiative . 12 Design & Layout Shannon Whitters QCC Student Honored with Inaugural Mechanics Hall Collegiate Apprentice Award . 14 Office of Community Connections/Advancement QCC Mentoring Program Delivers the Perfect Match . 15 Viviana Abreu-Hernandez, Ph .D . New QCC Dental Materials Lab Up and Running . 16 Shirley Dempsey Nicole Heldenbergh QCC’s Food Pantry and Resource Center Still Barry Metayer Available for Students . 18 Déborah González, Ph .D . June Vo QCC Respiratory Care Grads Help Top Medical Professionals . .20 This issue is sponsored by Students Give Legislators Insight Into their the QCC Foundation Lives at QCC . 22 QCC Foundation Officers News Briefs . 24 Linda Maykel, D .D .S ., President David Ojerholm, Treasurer New Associate Vice President of External Jeannie Hebert, Clerk/Secretary Affairs – Viviana Abreu-Hernandez . 28 Luis Pedraja, Ph .D ., Ex Officio QCC’s New Vice President of Academic Affairs – James Keane . .29 QCC Connections is a publication of Quinsigamond Community College 2 Letter from our President A Future of Hope..
    [Show full text]
  • Panamanian Higher Education System
    PANAMANIAN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM NATIONAL REPORT MAY 2019 "The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein." Principal investigators Mgter. Maribel Gómez- Universidad de Panama Mgter. Yajaira Castillo- Universidad de Panama Mgter. Eduardo Villarreal- Ministry of Education Technical Advisory Team – Universidad de Panama Mgter. Irene de Rodríguez Dr. Arturo Coley Graham Mgter. Elizabeth German Mgter. Román Gordón 2 Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................... 5 OVERVIEW OF PANAMA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM .......................................................... 7 1.1. Descriptions of the educational levels of regular education ................................. 7 1.1.1. First education level ........................................................................................... 9 1.1.2. Second education level ....................................................................................... 9 1.1.3. Third education level ........................................................................................ 10 1.1.3.1. Non-university higher education ................................................................... 10 1.1.3.2. TERTIARY UNIVERSITY EDUCATION ..............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 266900Wp0english0inclusive0e
    INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: ACHIEVING EDUCATION FOR ALL BY INCLUDING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS Public Disclosure Authorized SUSAN J. PETERS, PH.D.* PREPARED FOR THE DISABILITY GROUP THE WORLD BANK April 30, 2003 Public Disclosure Authorized The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in this report are entirely those of the author and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, to members of its Board of Executive Directors, or to the countries they represent. The report has gone through an external peer review process, and the author thanks those individuals for their feedback. Public Disclosure Authorized *Susan J. Peters is an Associate Professor in the College of Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. She has been an educator and disability scholar for the past 20 years and has published in various international journals. She is the co-author and editor of two books: Education and Disability in Cross-Cultural Perspective (NY: Garland Publishing. 1993) and Disability and Special Needs Education in an African Context (Harare: College Press. 2001). She may be contacted at [email protected] Public Disclosure Authorized TABLE OF CONTENTS INCLUSIVE EDUCAITON: ACHIEVING EDUCATION FOR ALL BY INCLUDING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS Glossary of Terms Executive Summary 1 I. Introduction 9 Background II. Inclusive Education Practice: Lessons from the North 18 Background Best Practice in Canada and the United States Best Practice in Europe and other OECD Countries Special Issues: Accountability Special Issues: Parental Involvement Special Issues: Gender Summary III. Inclusive Education Practice: Lessons from the South 26 Introduction IE: The Experience of “Southern Hemisphere School System Inclusive Education Framework Challenges and Responses to IE in the South Barriers Gaps in the Literature Considerations for Future Study Zambia Honduras Vietnam India Summary IV.
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    ICR Review Report Number ::: ICRRICRR1154311543 Operations Evaluation Department Public Disclosure Authorized 1. Project Data: Date Posted ::: 09/29/2003 PROJ IDID:::: P007832 Appraisal Actual Project Name ::: Pa Basic Education Project Project Costs 58 59.3 (((US$M(US$MUS$M)))) Country::: Panama LoanLoan////CreditCredit (((US$M(US$MUS$M)))) 35 35 SectorSector((((ssss):):):): Board: ED - Primary Cofinancing education (37%), (((US$M(US$MUS$M)))) Secondary education (35%), Central government administration (14%), Pre-primary education (10%), Tertiary education (4%) LLL/L///CC Number::: L3994 Board Approval 97 (((FY(FYFYFY)))) Public Disclosure Authorized Partners involved ::: Closing Date 12/31/2001 10/31/2002 Prepared by ::: Reviewed by ::: Group Manager ::: GroupGroup:::: Helen Abadzi Howard Nial White Alain A. Barbu OEDST 2. Project Objectives and Components aaa.a... Objectives The Basic Education Project was to: (a) improve the quality of basic education in Panama; (b) improve equity of access to pre-school education and basic education for children in rural and poor urban areas; (c) expand the coverage of pre-school education through community operated nonformal administrative models; and (d) strengthen the planning, financial, supervision and policy-making capacity of the Ministry of Education (MOE). bbb.b... Components These were: ( a) Improvement of quality of, and expansion of access to, primary and lower secondary education (US$44.41m 77% of costs), which included: (i) in-service teacher training; (ii) provision of textbooks and
    [Show full text]
  • The Linguistic Matrix of Panama with Special Focus on Anglophone Creoles
    The Linguistic Matrix of Panama with Special Focus on Anglophone Creoles Michael Aceto East Carolina University Introduction In Central America, it is a kind of unofficial secret, often unknown even to residents of the individual countries, that there are hundreds of thousands of first language English-derived Creole speakers all along the eastern Caribbean shore. Local varieties of Spanish are the official languages of all the Central American countries except Belize, but English-derived Creole varieties as well as a host of Amerindian languages (e.g. Sumu, Rama, Guaymi, Kuna) can be heard up and down the Caribbean coast of Central America. On the Miskito Coast of Nicaragua, there are approximately 100,000 Creole speakers, with 25,000 speaking Creole English as a first language. More than 10,000 speak a creolized English along the Caribbean coast of Honduras and on that country's Bay Islands. In Costa Rica, English-derived Creole is also spoken by nearly 50,000 Afro-Caribbeans mostly around the port-city of Limon on the eastern coast. Even Guatemala has English-derived Creole speakers on its Caribbean shores, which towns with names such as Livingston suggest (though there has been no research on this variety). In Panama, the focus of this paper, there are more than 100,000 Creole speakers in three general locations: the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro near the Costa Rican border, Panama City, and Colon. It must be pointed out that there is relatively little research documenting these communities (for two exceptions, see Holm 1983; Aceto 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999).
    [Show full text]
  • Surprisingly Different Panama
    Anzeige www.countryprofiler.com Surprisingly Different Panama Country Overview The Real Face of Panama Logistics, tourism and real estate are set to drive Panama forward as the country is confident that its best days are yet to come. El Porvenir or more than 100 years, Panama has been Colon Fsynonymous with the canal that bears its name. The waterway has helped Panama develop into one of the most prosperous Panama City nations in the region, with an economy that has become one of the fastest-growing David worldwide. While recently this progress has La Palma Puerto been overshadowed by the ‘Panama Papers’ Yaviza revelations, the country confidently charts Armuelles its path forward. There is more to Panama Las Tablas than just financial services, and the nation has been busy preparing its economy for the future. The newly expanded Panama Canal is expected to bring substantial revenue in the years ahead, and excitement about emerg- Between Oceans and Continents Colón, the country’s second largest city, ing opportunities in areas such as logistics Home to just under four million inhabit- is located on the Caribbean Coast. While and manufacturing can be felt through- ants, the Republic of Panama is located Spanish is the official language of the out the country. At the same time, sectors between Costa Rica and Colombia, forming country, English is widely spoken and is such as tourism, agriculture, real estate the narrowest and lowest portion of one of the commercial languages. Panama and construction are regularly competing the Isthmus that links North and South has a warm tropical climate, and seasons for investor attention and are growing at a America.
    [Show full text]
  • The Amenity Migrants of Cotacachi THESIS Presented in Partial
    The Amenity Migrants of Cotacachi THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Anisa Kline, B.A., M.A. Graduate Program in Latin American Studies The Ohio State University 2013 Master's Examination Committee: Amy Shuman, Laura Podalsky, Ana Del-Sarto, advisor Copyright by Anisa Kline 2013 Abstract This paper addresses amenity migration in Cotacachi, Ecuador. Amenity migration refers to the increasingly popular trend of North Americans (and occasionally Europeans), who are generally retirees, moving to countries such as Panama, Costa Rica and Ecuador in order to enjoy a higher standard of living at a lower cost. For retirees, a fixed income that would barely provide a comfortable middle-class lifestyle in the United States goes much further in countries such as Ecuador or Panama. The rising cost of health care in the United States is also an important factor, since health services are usually much more affordable in these places. These factors (housing, domestic help and health care) plus the overall lower cost of most goods and services in the host countries make this kind of migration increasingly attractive to many older North Americans. Using qualitative fieldwork and textual analysis, this paper examines why amenity migrants chose Cotacachi, Ecuador, how they perceive the town and how they perceive themselves in relation to the town. It also explores how Ecuadorians perceive their new neighbors and the effects the migrants have had on the local community. Applying the idea of the coloniality of power, the paper explores the similarities between amenity migration as it is currently practiced and colonial attitudes of centuries past.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Protection Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: Panama
    Project Document Social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: Panama Alexis Rodríguez Mojica Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) This document was prepared by Alexis Rodríguez, consultant with the Social Development Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and is part of a series of studies on “Social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean”, edited by Simone Cecchini, Social Affairs Officer, and Claudia Robles, consultant, with the same Division. The author wish to thank Milena Lavigne and Humberto Soto for their valuable comments. The document was produced as part of the activities of the projects “Strengthening social protection” (ROA/1497) -and “Strengthening regional knowledge networks to promote the effective implementation of the United Nations development agenda and to assess progress” (ROA 161-7), financed by the United Nations Development Account. The views expressed in this document, which has been reproduced without formal editing, are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Organization. LC/W.526 Copyright © United Nations, November 2013. All rights reserved Printed in Santiago, Chile – United Nations ECLAC – Project Documents collection Social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: Panama Contents Foreword .......................................................................................................................................... 5 I. Introduction .............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Migration, Tourism, and Constructions of Difference in Panamanian Travel Narratives
    The Geographic Imaginaries of Empire: Migration, Tourism, and Constructions of Difference in Panamanian Travel Narratives By Kyla Egan A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Geography and Planning University of Toronto © Copyright by Kyla Egan 2018 The Geographic Imaginaries of Empire: Migration, Tourism, and Constructions of Difference in Panamanian Travel Narratives Kyla Egan Master of Arts Department of Geography and Planning University of Toronto 2018 Abstract Panama’s tourism industry has flourished since 1990 to become one of the premiere travel destinations in Central America as described by tourism literature. Using historical geography as its methodology, this thesis offers an analysis of how colonial logics of empire remain embedded in the Panamanian tourism industry and nation building agendas. In particular, the discourse analysis of Panamanian travel narratives in archival and contemporary travel literature has revealed both substantial transformations and persistent congruities of imperial discourse from 1880-2017. The findings of this project demonstrate how hegemonic Euro- American geographic imaginations help construct tourism materials and influence tourist behavior in Panama. In particular, themes of wilderness and nature, white supremacy, and American exceptionalism emerged from the analysis of tourism literature as the primary factors contributing to the conceptual and material organization of Panamanian space in travel literature. These themes are contextualized within broader discussions of empire studies and amenity migration literature. ii Acknowledgements Thank you to my supervisor, Sharlene Mollett, for her guidance and support throughout this process. I am grateful to have grown academically and personally during the two years I have been under her supervision.
    [Show full text]