Travel Pulse wants you to discover this country’s riches in experiential travel: off-the-beaten-path exploration, immersive encounters.

n the brief new Panama Specialist Travel Agent Academy program, you’ll learn what makes Panama the perfect match for clients seeking to make a real connection with their vacation destination through experiences relating to the country’s natural beauty, history, people and culture.

First, you’ll discover Panama’s wide range of unique vacation features, and then gain assistance in conveying Panama’s outstanding selling points for select client groups: Culture Discoverers, Foodies, Sun Chasers, Sports Enthusiasts and Nature/ Adventure Seekers.

Panama is a small country (about the size of South Carolina), so its top attractions can be reached within minutes or a few hours of one another. All in one place, visitors can explore beautiful beaches and islands, mountains, rivers and inactive volcanoes, while immersing themselves in Panama’s natural bounty—which includes more species of animals and plants than found in most other countries.

They can also experience the Panama Canal, “one of the seven wonders of the modern world”; learn firsthand about Panama’s fascinating indigenous cultures and dazzling folklore; and choose from a dizzying array of nature adventures and water sports.

Among the many pleasures for your Culture Discoverers are Casco Viejo, Panama City’s Old Town, founded in 1673 and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Azuero in southern Panama, known as the cultural heart of the country, where inhabitants proudly preserve their traditions and folklore; the El Caño Archaeological Park, called “Panama’s Valley of the Kings”; and communities of seven unique indigenous cultures.

The Foodies among your clients can enjoy the best of international cuisine (Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexican, Peruvian …), and discover Panama’s own unique dishes. They can also visit coffee and chocolate estates and explore the process of creating these tasty temptations, from cultivation to the end product.

For the Sun Chasers and/or water lovers among your clients, with some 1,500 miles of Pacific and Caribbean coastlines (not to mention the area’s hundreds of islands), there is no spot in Panama more than 50 miles away from glorious beaches.

For Sports Enthusiasts and Nature/ Adventure Seekers, Panama is hard to beat: water sports of every kind, including white-water rafting, as well as myriad land-based pursuits, including mountain climbing, ziplining, hiking and wildlife-viewing, can all be enjoyed in surroundings of spectacular natural beauty.