1.) As a result of the conference’s briefing, I took a small-group journey with Christian Strassnig, a fresh ATCF representative who had a significant role in the revival and advancement of the Camino Real, which connects the Pacific and the Atlantic. He began looking for historical Spanish colonies about 20 years earlier. As the leader of Cultour Panama, Strassnig offers green journey experiences that emphasize the Camino Real’s importance. Over the course of five days, we spent walking over cobbles carrying horses loaded with ransomed Inca gold and silver from Potosi’s mine, headed for Spain’s ports, and visited resilient Indigenous communities via wooden kayaks. We also learned about the powerful Afro-Caribbean tradition along the Atlantic coast, built by the road staff ‘ descendants who had been enslaved.
I had the opportunity to spend the Day of Adventure exploring the Santa Ana and Chorrillo industrial towns as part of the Movimiento Identidad’s absorption in Casco Antiguo’s UNESCO World Heritage Site’s living history. At a lively outside fonda in El Chorrillo, I perched on a stool next to Iván Eskildsen, former minister of tourism of Panama and founder of OGAYA Travel, a new renewable travel operator connecting visitors to Panama’s nature, ancient culture and nearby communities, as he outlined the country’s optimistic plans, continued by the existing government, to create its two most traditional trails, the Camino Real and the Camino de Cruces, in process of being nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This restorative action will use experience hospitality as a tool for positive and sustainable development and will not only show Panama’s rich cultural heritage but also its beautiful rainforests.
2.) Colombia looks to character- and community-based tourism to build six areas in the country: In between sessions, I ran into an old friend, Julián Guerrero, Colombia’s past vice minister of tourism and presently chief of party of Destination Nature Activity, a fresh USAID-supported initiative. The five-year project aims to develop community-based tourism in Colombia, with a focus on six key regions, including Putumayo, Meta, Caquetá, Guaviare, and the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. The program emphasizes regenerative nature tourism, which balances ecosystem health, community well-being, and economic sustainability. Said Guerrero,” We must ensure this growth does not come at the expense of our environment”.
3.) Full-speed ahead on planet-friendly travel innovations: Fernando Diez, marketing director of the family-operated Quasar Expeditions, (another new ATCF member) came by my table at the Media Connect session to tell me about an exciting new development: the ongoing construction of the first hybrid propulsion ships to sail the Galapagos. “The M/Y Conservation will be the first vessel in the Galapagos Islands with hybrid propulsion, capable of offering guests a cruising experience in total harmony with its natural environment,” said Diez. The ship’s design aligns with the Ecuadorian company’s commitment to sustainability, which includes carbon-neutral operations and advanced recycling facilities to ensure only clean water is released back into the ocean. The initiative not only supports Ecuador’s energy transition goals but also serves as a model for responsible tourism practices in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. Look for the ship’s debut in early 2026.
4.) The kids are alright: One of my favorite sessions was one called “Connecting the Past to the Future: Two adventure travel industry thought-leaders share personal perspectives,” featuring two friends of mine, South African Nicky Fitzgerald, newly re-retired CEO of Angama and former ATCF board member, and Colombian Juliana Medina Rivero, CEO of Impulse Travel, whom I’d met at a Tourism Cares conference in Medellín in 2021. Representing two generations of the adventure travel industry, both emphasized the importance of steeping travelers in a welcome unique to the place at the same time as guiding them to care for place and planet. It served both as a passing the baton and two-way wisdom sharing and highlighted to me that the future of both tourism and the planet is in good hands as long as we listen to and empower more women such as Fitzgerald and Rivero. Another session that hit on this theme was the one on adaptation and evolution featuring Roberto Gallo, of Costa Rica’s Rios Lodge. The son of the late, great Rafa Gallo, an early ecotourism adopter and dear friend, the younger Gallo is re-making the elder Gallo’s legacy in his own way.
5.) The adventure travel industry has embraced its leading role in addressing climate change and promoting sustainability in tourism: This was what I saw and heard and felt all week long, despite keynoter Al Merschen’s data demonstrating that while travelers say sustainability is important to them, they don’t often behave like it is. No one disputes the data, but to Shannon Stowell, CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), what travelers think or say or even do is beside the point. In his closing keynote, Stowell emphasized the critical role the adventure travel industry must play in addressing climate change. He advocated for responsible tourism as a powerful tool to drive conservation, promote peace, and bring economic value to communities. Stowell highlighted the importance of integrating sustainability into the core operations of travel businesses, noting that “adventure travel relies on thoughtful and innovative preservation of natural and cultural resources.” He underscored that many key players now view their businesses as integral parts of their communities rather than isolated entities, recognizing the need to preserve these resources for future generations.
I saw so much evidence of this over the four days of the event, including the standing-room-only Adventure Travel Conservation Fund’s annual breakfast session, where five new member-supported grant projects were announced by executive director Soraya Shattuck. Speaker Rachel Graham, PhD, of MarAlliance, a past ATCF grant winner, spoke of the organization’s work to improve ocean conservation in Panama by developing critical data on marine life populations and engaging coastal fishing communities in research and sustainable practices.
Other inspiring sessions I briefly popped into—mostly to see longtime friends—included one on climate strategy featuring Christina Beckmann of Tomorrow’s Air and Ted Martens of Natural Habitat Adventures; one on the consequential decisions that shaped the adventure travel industry, with Malia Asfour of the Jordan Tourism Board and Hege Barnes of Innovation Norway; and one to jazz up the creative juices with Lee Kitchen. (Would love to name-drop all my amazing friends here, but I’m trying to keep this semi-professional.)
As an advanced but not-fully-fluent student of Spanish, it was thrilling to be able to speak the local language throughout my twelve days in Panama. And with next year’s Adventure Travel World Summit in Chile, I’m looking forward to seeing more progress on both mi español and the industry’s sustainability goals.
Independent journalist Norie Quintos is a National Geographic contributing writer, ATTA Adventure Media Advisory Group member, and ATCF board member. She also is a communications consultant helping destinations and travel companies surface their unique cultural stories. See her website (www.noriequintos.com) and follow her travels and thoughts on Instagram @noriecicerone.