Panama Teams
Up With Smithsonian To Bolster Tourism Experiences
Source: Travel
Agent Central
For almost a century, via its research in Panama, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) has made the tropical rainforests of Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal Watershed the most intensively studied in the world. The Panama Canal Watershed is home to a plethora of ecotourism activities fit for adventure-seekers, culture mavens and water lovers, including kayaking, indigenous villages and boat tours on the canal.
Travelers can also learn about Panama’s biodiversity and the canal’s history by visiting two Smithsonian affiliate museums: The Panama Canal Museum and the Biomuseo (worldwide, only Panama, Puerto Rico and the United States have entities affiliated to the Smithsonian).
In its efforts
to strengthen Panama’s sustainable tourism experiences and increase
competitiveness as a tourist destination, the acting director of STRI, Dr. Oris
Sanjur, and Panama’s minister of tourism, Ivan Eskildsen, signed a cooperation
agreement where both entities will come together to support the “Tourism,
Conservation and Research” (TCI) strategy which is currently being implemented
by the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP).
The agreement
supports the TCI strategy and will further contribute to the development of the
destination’s heritage routes, which were launched as part of Panama's “Master
Plan for Sustainable Tourism.” A network of circuits that highlight the
richness and diversity of Panama's natural and cultural heritage, the routes
focus on three core areas: Cultural Heritage (multifaceted culture), Green
Heritage (unique biodiversity) and Blue Heritage (ocean wonders).
ATP will
support the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in developing its
scientific, educational and conservation activities in Panama with an emphasis
on attracting travelers to its visitor centers and scientific stations. STRI
will collaborate with the Tourism Authority of Panama by providing audiovisual
material to promote tourism on the institution's websites, social media
platforms and presentations developed by the institution.