Russian tour operators report no appeals for help after Panama earthquake

Tour operators belonging to the Russian Union of Travel Industry have received no requests for help from Russian tourists following the earthquake in Panama, the association told RBC.

The companies also had no information about Russian citizens being injured. The statement concerns information available to those operators, rather than establishing the situation of every independent traveller.

The association said organised travel from Russia to Panama remains very limited. It cited the absence of direct flights, complex routes and expensive airfares as barriers, while noting that many visitors travel independently.

According to Panama’s National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), about 8,700 people residing in Russia visited Panama in 2024. Approximately 3,200 travelled for leisure. The figures classify visitors by country of residence, not citizenship, so they do not give an exact count of Russian tourists.

The association said it had no information about official recommendations for Russian visitors to leave Panama. It advised travellers to follow statements from Russia’s Foreign Ministry, the Russian embassy and local authorities and to observe current safety instructions.

The earthquake damaged buildings and disrupted electricity in parts of Panama, while metro services were temporarily suspended. The operators’ statement addresses the consequences for their travellers as authorities assess the wider impact.