Tourism booming in Comarca Guna Yala

Approximately 3,000 tourists came to the Comarca Guna Yala during the holidays of the first weekend of November, and the region has received almost 12,000 visitors this year. These are figures provided by Comarca Governor Armegilda Correa, who said that visitor arrivals this year have increased by 80 percent. "The population has abandoned farming or fishing and has focused on tourism," said one resident. Foreigners appreciate "the white sand, silence and the crystal clear waters of the region," explained Leroy Montero, the lieutenant governor. He said that improvements to infrastructure has been the key to the increase in visitors, both domestic and foreign. As the number of visitors has grown, residents are seeing the opportunities available to them. Nicolas Avila, 30, has returned to the comarca after living near Panama City. "Here there are emerging opportunities," he said.