From April 1998 through March 2000, Dr. Ayala carried out the Tourism-Conservation-Research (TCR) Action Plan for the Republic of Panama, at the invitation of the Panamanian Government and under the auspices of the Panamanian Tourism Institute (IPAT). This national project was formalized via Panama's Executive Decree No. 327 of 30 November 1998. The principal achievements include:

Support and Participation of the Smithsonian. The  TCR Action Plan has enabled Panama to be the first country to link the tourism and hotel industry with the world renown of the Smithsonian Institution. This ground-breaking initiative (catalyzed by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and funded by the Smithsonian Institution, the Tinker Foundation of New York, and other sources) offers a novel economic opportunity to transform the Smithsonian's prestigious geological, biological, and cultural research into the impossible-to-imitate qualities of Panama's heritage products, while fostering education, conservation, and sustainable development.

TCR Heritage Themes. The  TCR  Action  Plan  has  produced  an  original  system  of twenty-three  heritage routes, based on themes that reveal the unparalleled geological, ecological, and cultural dynamics of Panama as the "bridge of the world." Each heritage theme profiles and strengthens simultaneously the outstanding tourism, conservation, and knowledge values of Panama's nature and culture and, thus, provides a unique instrument for presenting, protecting, and enhancing the national heritage while energizing the national economy.

TCR Pilot Hotel Portfolio. Under the TCR Action Plan's guidance, fifteen hotels in Panama have pledged and contributed close to US$5 million for science, conservation, education (including scholarships for the indigenous people), and sustainable development of the local communities. These highly marketable pledges extol the TCR model's ability to mobilize and fund employment in conservation and resource management.

TCR's Infrastructure Blueprint. At Dr. Ayala's invitation, Pritzker Prize winner and internationally acclaimed  architect Frank O. Gehry joined the TCR Action Plan and led a team of experts charged with developing conceptual and feasibility studies for prototypes of TCR infrastructure in the context of the Panama Canal. The products include three Gehry-designed models of heritage interpretive centers.