EcoCircuitos Panama is a young and dynamic tour operator that strives to raise awareness through the use of ecotourism as a conservation and development tool. Althought the founder have always been conscious about the importance of sustainable tourism in Panama, we are trying to take things to a new level by working with companies and training guides, providors, outfitters that shares our same vision. Our vision as a sustainable tour operator is to combine fun outdoor activities, cultural exchange, educational tours and nature preservation to make a memorable vacation for our clients. The tour companies, lodges and guides working with EcoCircuitos share this vision and strive to make our clients experience in Panama unforgettable.

Responsible Travel Policy

We realise that it has important environmental responsibilities both in and out of the office.  

All of our programs that we organize are for small groups with no more than 10 people, in order to have minimal environmental impacts in the diverse areas we visit.

These groups are attended by specialist guides who are able to interpret not only the information about an area, but their role as visitors to the area and how they may get involved to contribute to protected areas.
 
Our guides are very conscience of not only the areas of visitation but the involvement of the visitors.  They explain to our clients the importance of protecting a natural area, why it is important to stay on a trail to protect the fragile ecosystems and prevent damaging the flora and fauna of the area.  They pick up trash on the trails and encourage visitors to do the same, also the importance of leaving the natural area as we found it is enforced.  We do not allow collection of plants, corals or other natural objects.  The guides enlighten clients on why we do not bother the animals or make obscene sounds to attract their attention or feed them.  Each tour is like classroom where everybody is involved and understanding each others impacts on the area.

In some cases with us by just have visiting a protected area is an important contribution because the donation that is made to enter the area is used towards maintaining the area in its natural form.   

We work with the national park system and other private reserves by donating a fee for mantinence.  This donation is used towards trail maintenance, gear for volunteer firefighters, environmental education, workshops for the public to lean about the area and other needs. We have also have donated equipment such as a small boat to an indigenous community, who now uses the boat as a form of transportation.

Furthermore, we prefer to work with small hotels and ecolodges that are conscience of their environmental impacts to the area they are situated and inform their guests how they can minimize their impacts on the area such as use of water and electricity.

In the Bocas del Toro region hotels (Tranquilo Bay, Punta Caracol Aqua Lodge) are aware that there is a water shortage post kind notes in rooms about laundry and use of towels. While other hotels in the area catch rain water and reuse the water are built of recyclable materials, compost and aware of safe biodegradable chemicals to use on their properties and do not by or serve endangered species such as conch.  (Cala Mia, Gulf of Chiriqui)

Other hotels throughout the mainland and in the San Blas Archipelago use solar panels and have found responsible ways to treat their waste. (Dolphin Lodge)

All visitors traveling with us also are given an informational kit that provides information on how they can reduce their impact on different areas they will visit.

Some examples are how to consume consciously to limit wastes, be mindful of ones actions to act correctly, and be aware of ones surroundings.  We also encourage travelers to travel lightly and not to bring non recyclable items on their trip that may create unnecessary waste.  Not everyone in the country uses proper waste disposal and we do not want to contribute to waste. We also encourage travelers abide by each areas rules or customs and try to use only what is necessary in regards to water and other natural resources.

We donate small funds to public and private reserves that promote preservation and conservation.   

We work very closely with the Wekso Project (the Naso Indians that consist of ll communities) in the Bocas del Toro mainland, not only do we visit this area but we give donations to the local school for supplies and support environmental education programs in  the area.

In the office we recycle and reuse paper and other materials that may be processed in Panama. We keep an alliance with Sugerencias Recimental S.A. to recycle all the waste of our office.

We produce very little waste and we recycle everything that we can such as printed paper, folders, and water bottles from our tours and other recyclable materials in the office.

Social & Economic Responsibility

We work closely with local communities and projects that promote sustainability.

Two examples are with the Embera Drua indigenous community and women’s group in Santa Fe Darien.  The Embera Drua community lives up the Chagres River and consists of slightly more than 100 people.  They live off the land and construct their houses from selective logging.  They also work with tourism they have aboard of directors that makes health decisions for the community.  Each family sells arts and crafts to visitors. The whole community participates in teaching the visitors about their lifestyle, dances, and how they do their artwork. Community members take turns teaching the visitors about their community.  Also everybody in the community participates in communal projects.

The woman’s group cultivates and harvests the different plants and herbs to produce soaps and teas that are sold in Panama City.  The income is distributed among the families.
 
We realize that it has a significant role in supporting local economies through the form of responsible tourism. By choosing to work with local communities and guides we realize we are providing jobs that can create positive awareness and appreciation of area or region.

We work directly and indirectly with many different communities throughout the republic. For example we have a satellite office in the small town Boquete in the Chiriqui Highlands, we work with local guides from the area and we bring guides from Panama to give workshops and training to local guides, boats and cooks. Another example is in the area of Coiba we hire local guides from the area to run our tours and visitors stay at the lodging provided by the national park system. This is the way we work with all of our tours and programs.  Examples of rural communities that we work with are the Wekso Project, Embera communities located in the Chagres National Park and in the Darien, Santa Fe, Vaquilla for agrotourism (what just named as Panama´s first completely organic community), different communities in the San Blas Archipelago.

We are always open to working with community projects we constantly visiting communities and exploring new destinations. It is significant to us that tourism can be used correctly so that everybody can benefit in a positive way.

Programs that we offer may also include volunteer and educational programs where students and visitors not only learn about a project, but partake in the daily lifestyle of a community. We strongly believe education is an encouraging way to promote a better understanding of the world we live in.

We have worked with a variety of universities from the United States (NYU, Cornell, Virginia College to name a few) and from Europe who have come to learn about Panama, tourism and about the biodiversity.  These student groups have participated in project development by visiting communities that are developing programs that they would like to offer to visitors, volunteered with indigenous groups by teaching in local schools and helping with small projects in the community such as helping with medicinal gardens, environmental education, helping build trails and schools.  Furthermore some groups meet with local NGOs and other governmental foundations to learn more about what is happening in Panama.

Currently we have volunteer projects in the San Blas Archipelago, where visitors stay in a local community for a week or longer and assist with local community projects.  This may consist of rebuilding houses, cleaning and restoring community centers, assisting in schools etc.

We also send volunteers to participate in the Santa Fe community where they assist the women’s group project and assist the community with their organic farming and market their local products.
 
Through visiting these local communities and supporting their products such as organic teas, soap, artwork, local restaurants and hostels, visitors are contributing to the local economy.   A small portion 2%-4%of each program that we sell goes towards donations for medicine, school supplies, scholarships and other necessities needed by the local communities we visit.

Before each traveler comes to Panama with us they receive a Panama informational document which we have created that explains proper dress when visiting indigenous and local communities such as women should wear shirts at cover their bikini top, wear modest clothes, not to wear short skirts instead wear sarongs or longer shorts.

We are a young and dynamic tour operator that strives to raise awareness through the use of ecotourism as a conservation and development tool. 

Although the founders have always been conscious about the importance of sustainable tourism in Panama, they are now trying to take things to a new level by working with wholesalers and suppliers that share this same vision.

Our company supports several projects in small communities that help foster economic development through tourism.  Due to the success of this type of programming, we are training local guides and creating additional partnerships to ensure that its programs better support environmental conservation and local communities. 

We actively participate with local organizations and local communities to promote good practices in ecotourism.  We strongly believe in the concept that travelers are also conservationist and can help contribute to the benefits of the local communities and their environment.

We invite you to take a step forward and change the way you travel by having a tour with a responsible wholesaler, tour operator or tour provider.

tbc