Panama took a step to integrate part of its historical and cultural heritage into an international network of certified routes by formalizing its accession to the Cooperation Program on Ibero-American Cultural Routes and Itineraries (PRICI), an initiative promoted by the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI).
The incorporation will allow the country to participate in the design, recognition, and certification of heritage corridors within the Ibero-American sphere, a strategy that seeks to strengthen cultural tourism, promote the conservation of heritage, and generate new economic development opportunities for the communities linked to these historical routes.
The accession was announced by the Ministry of Culture and formalized during a meeting held at the historic site of La Rábida, in Huelva, Spain, where Panama was represented by architect Javier Adolfo Edwards Ibarra, a delegate tasked with validating the program’s operational documents.
According to information released by the EFE agency, Panama’s participation will allow it to join the technical planning, development, and certification phases of internationally recognized heritage routes.
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Certified routes will be able to access greater international visibility within the cultural tourism market. AFP
The PRICI is one of the most ambitious cultural initiatives promoted in recent years within the Ibero-American space. Its main objective is to create a common framework that allows for the establishment of shared criteria, indicators, and standards to identify, develop, and certify historical itineraries that cross territories with relevant cultural heritage.
The initiative draws on models that have been successful in other regions of the world, particularly the Cultural Routes Program of the Council of Europe, considered one of the main international benchmarks in the management of heritage routes.
Under this scheme, the proposed cultural corridors by the participating countries must overcome various stages before obtaining international certification. The process begins with the historical identification and feasibility assessment of the route, continues with community engagement and the inventory of heritage assets, subsequently incorporates conservation and governance plans, and culminates with tourism promotion and the management of the itinerary.
One of the main attractions of the program is precisely the international certification that participating routes can obtain. This recognition functions as a quality seal backed by multilateral organizations and allows for increased visibility of cultural destinations to tourists, operators, and entities specializing in heritage. Panama has sites recognized by UNESCO that could strengthen future applications for cultural routes. EFE
In addition to boosting tourism promotion, the program seeks to generate economic benefits in the involved territories through the creation of new activities linked to tourism, culture, gastronomy, crafts, and creative industries.
Cultural authorities consider that these types of initiatives also contribute to preserving the shared historical memory among Ibero-American countries, fostering international cooperation for the protection of tangible and intangible heritage.
Panama’s accession opens the possibility for national historic corridors to aspire in the future to become part of this international network. Among the routes with potential for integration are ancient colonial roads, trade routes linked to interoceanic transit, paths associated with the construction of the railroad, and other journeys that are part of the country’s history as a connection point between continents.
The program was created based on the agreements reached during the XXII Ibero-American Conference of Ministers of Culture held in Barcelona, Spain, in September 2025. At that meeting, the OEI was tasked with coordinating a regional mechanism to articulate efforts for the development of shared cultural routes.
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Certified cultural corridors must meet criteria related to heritage, sustainability, and governance. Archive
The initiative also has the support of entities specialized in international cooperation and heritage management, including the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the European Institute of Cultural Routes.
For Panama, joining the program coincides with a broader strategy aimed at strengthening the offering of cultural tourism, a segment that has gained relevance in recent years as a complement to the traditional attractions of beaches, nature, and shopping.
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The country has an extensive network of internationally recognized heritage assets, including the Panama Viejo Archaeological Site and the Historic District of Panama, both declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, as well as the Fort of San Lorenzo and the fortifications of Portobelo, in the province of Colón.
Participation in the PRICI will allow Panama to integrate into the technical and methodological discussion processes that will define future standards for the certification of heritage routes in Ibero-America, an initiative that seeks to turn the region’s shared history into a tool for sustainable development, cultural cooperation, and international tourism promotion.
