[CS] Tourism in Costa Rica (Sustainable Management)

[Intro] What is Costa Rica, and how are they managing tourism sustainably?

• An upper-middle income country in Central America

• Tourism has been one of their fastest growing sectors

• To prevent tourists damaging natural environment, they have taken conservative measures & enacted laws

How is Costa Rica using ecotourism to manage tourism?

P: Costa Rica is promoting ecotourism by developing National Parks & taking revenue to fund conservation practices

E: Currently, over 25% of land is protected

→ via prohibiting harmful activities, preventing deforestation, & controlling visitor flow

E: This has helped reduce disruption to wildlife & maintaining biodiversity

How does Costa Rica’s practice of requiring tourists to have a tour guide, manage tourism?

P: Many areas require tourists to have a tour guide for access → learn about respecting environment & conservation efforts

E: Corcovado National Park provide guided tours that ensures safety of ecosystems by reminding & monitoring tourist behaviours (e.g. waste, staying on trails)

E: This reduces destruction to habitats & environmental degradation

How does Costa Rica’s ban on hunting manage tourism?

P: In 2012, Costa Rica banned hunting:

- imposed fines up to USD 3000

- prison sentences up to 4 months

E: This deters tourists from illegally killing wildlife → maintaining ecological balance

E: This has protected endangered species from further harm, (e.g. jaguars & macaws)