The beautiful biodiversity found in Gamboa makes it an absolutely ecological destination and one of the most visited. The rainforest that borders the Chagres River and its attractions spark the tourists' interest and turn the visit into a fabulous adventure experience.

The National Institute of Culture of Panama (INAC) and the Goethe-Institut in Germany, with the support of the Música Viva Foundation and the German Embassy in Panama, are organizing the next Central American Youth Orchestra (OJCA), to be held in Panama from September 22 until October 6, 2013.

The Panama Chamber of Tourism (CAMTUR) and the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, stating that the parties will cooperate to mutually encourage cruise tourism to both destinations.

Terra Expo 2013, to be held from May 31st to June 2nd at the Atlapa Convention Center, will provide a platform for companies, organizations, and the general public to exchange ideas, promote better consumer decisions, and make use of existing innovations in the environmental field.

Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, Creoles, Europeans, Jews, Hindus, Arabs, and Chinese are a few of the groups who have lived in Panama for many years— some for centuries— and who today constitute the nation's melting pot. They have brought with them their cultural diversity in all its forms: language, religious beliefs, art, music, lifestyle, social organization and socioeconomic development.

Location, climate, quality of service, natural attractions and organization of the private sector have served as the key success factors for several of the country's tourist hubs, like Río Hato in the province of Coclé, Pedasí in Los Santos and Boquete in Chiriquí.

Some seven thousand hotel rooms will need to be built in the province of Coclé and neighboring towns in central provinces to meet the tourist demand brought on by the construction of Scarlet Martinez International Airport, located in Río Hato.

A cultural struggle was sparked last year when a teacher banned one of her students from entering the school. "You can't come in like that," was what the teacher told the girl when she arrived at class with her hair in braids, a hairstyle that is emblematic of the Afro-descendant culture.

The company Copa and the Panama Tourism Authority have formed an alliance with the aim to position Panama as a major tourist destination in countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.

The various international conventions being held in the capital are boosting hotel business in Panama City. The ATP expects this activity to generate approximately $32,400,000 in 2013.