From left to right, Prof. Jorge Arosemena, Executive Director of the City of Knowledge; Mr. Herman Bern, president of Empresas Bern, and Mr. Alvaro Diago, president of InterContinental Hotel Group for Latin America.

Bern Hotels & Resort has signed a contract with the City of Knowledge Foundation to establish a hotel and hospitality school at the City of Knowledge, located in the former U.S. Army base of Ft. Clayton.

The purpose of the project is to create an educational institution that provides a first-hand working experience in accordance with today’s demanding hospitality industry.

"The commitment that Empresas Bern has with the development of tourism in Panama is ongoing. We believe in the opportunity that Panama has to serve tourists, as well as in the need to elevate the country’s educational standards" said Mr. Herman Bern, president of Empresas Bern –the parent company of Bern Hotels & Resorts.

The consortium, which has 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, will manage the project under the Holiday Inn brand.

Bern Hotels & Resorts owns and operates the InterContinental Miramar Panama Hotel, the Crowne Plaza Hotel Panama and the Suites Ambassador Apart-Hotel in Panama City, as well as the Gamboa Rainforest Resort in the Panama Canal area, and the new InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa, located near the southern entrance of the Canal.

The Altos del María residential community, located in the mountains of Sorá in the western sector of the province of Panama, continues to grow. Its developers, Grupo Melo, have recently announced the newest phase of the project, San Rafael, a 300-lot subdivision nestled in a verdant valley, bordered by the María River.

Two new aggregate-value features were recently inaugurated at Altos del María: a heliport, through which residents have access to and from Panama City in only 20 minutes, and a park and club house for meetings, concerts and theater performances, located in the Siena subdivision.

New park in Siena.

What started as a gated, country community targeted at Panamanians has become one of the leading expat enclaves in Panama. Located 90 minutes west of Panama City, Altos del María offers lots between 550 and 1,110 meters, on which residents can build custom-designed residences or choose between a number of models offered by the developers.

Nature and an excellent climate are the main attractions of Altos del María. This green development is the habitat of dozens of species of birds and mammals, such as deer, monkeys, sloth and squirrels, in addition to endemic natural rarities, such as the golden frog. Average temperatures range between 61 and 75 F. On higher elevations, it is possible to see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, especially on clear days.

The project is only 20 minutes from a long string of Pacific beaches, resorts, and sport facilities.

For details, call: (507) 260-1557. www.altosdelmaria.com

Copa Airline flies to over 30 countries throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.

Copa Airlines, Panama's national carrier, recently organized the visit of 12 tourist-industry members from the Dominican Republic. The purpose of the visit was to promote in local tourist circles, the tourist attributes of the northern region of the island-nation, which includes the resort cities of Santiago de los Caballeros, Puerto Plata, Sosua and Cabarete.

The Dominican Republic is one of the more than 30 countries served by Copa in the Americas. Founded in 1947 as a domestic airline, Copa has experienced tremendous growth in recent decades, especially after its association with Continental Airlines in the mid-1990's. Copa has completely renewed its fleet and has stretched its wings to new destinations in South America. The list of new destinations added this year includes Manaos, Brazil; Maracaibo, Venezuela, Montevideo, Uruguay (August), and San Pedro Sula, Honduras.