UN Tourism: Empowering Panama’s Indigenous Communities for Sustainable Tourism
United Nations Tourism, Panama Tourism Authority| Tourism & Community Development| Panama
Context & Challenge
Panama, renowned for its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, was strongly impacted by the pandemic, leaving local tourism providers struggling to adapt to changing global demands. As interest in adventure and culturally immersive tourism soared (with the adventure tourism market valued at $683 billion by ATTA), Panama faced both a challenge and an opportunity:
How to leverage its unique assets and engage local operators and indigenous communities to co-design new, sustainable, and market-ready tourism experiences that showcase its heritage while improving livelihoods?
Colectivo’s Approach
Un Tourism partnered with the Panama Tourism Authority to launch a competition for innovative community tourism experiences.
Colectivo was invited to:
Design & Facilitate Workshops: Deliver hands-on workshops on sustainable innovation tailored to local tour operators and indigenous communities.
Mentoring & Evaluation: Provide mentoring sessions, evaluate project strengths/weaknesses, and offer recommendations for the future.
Colectivo’s workshops enabled participants to identify innovation opportunities, build impactful projects that integrated local culture, and enhance sustainability in tourism.
Objectives & Outcomes
Clear Value Propositions: Operators articulated compelling, authentic value for travelers.
Empowered Communities: Local communities opened up, sharing traditions and innovations, creating synergy for a more sustainable tourism future in Panama.
Peer Learning: Mentoring fostered networking, knowledge-sharing, and broader community impact.