Gamboa Rainforest Resort at the Panama Canal received the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) 2003 Environmental Award …
Gamboa Rainforest Resort at the Panama Canal received the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) 2003 Environmental Award . Announced during the general session of ASTA’s 73rd World Travel Congress and Cruise/Caribbeanfest in Miami, the award honors an individual, company or country that has made a significant impact in preserving and protecting the environment.
“The Gamboa Rainforest Resort is an excellent example of sustainable tourism,” said Richard M. Copland, CTC, ASTA president and CEO. “The resort’s mission is to develop Panama as a tourist destination but not at the expense of its people or the environment. Because of founder Herman Bern’s, commitment to education and giving back to the community, the resort boasts premier learning facilities and directly supports the Embera Indians through job opportunities and the chance to sell their handicrafts to tourists.”
The Gamboa Rainforest Resort, which sits on the banks of the Chagres River in the midst of the Soberania National Park, works to ensure that the rainforest’s fragile biodiversity is protected. To that end, this luxury property has its own water treatment plant and works closely with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) on a variety of projects including the preservation of indigenous beetles and frogs. The STRI also trains the resort’s guides.
As part of its overall commitment to environmental education, Gamboa has worked with the BBC News in London on a film project on the preservation of the green iguana. A free ecological education program for public school children also is in development. The program will consist of interactive lectures and close-encounter experiences with nature visits to the resort.
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