Sustainable Tourism (Costa Rica)

Location

• Small country located in Central America near the Caribbean sea

• population of 5 million

Geographical Context

• Renowned globally for its sustainable tourism

• Accounts for 8.2% of GDP

• Attracts around 3 million tourists annually due to rich biodiversity, rainforests, national parks

• Generates employment for 600,000 people

Positives

• ecotourism model

• eco laws

• energy consumption

• sustainable tourism

Ecotourism Model

• Aims to minimize environmental impact.

• 25% of the country land is protected through national parks and reserves for eco-friendly leisure activities like bird watching, hiking, and wildlife tours

ECO laws

• Biodiversity Law and Forest Law to maintain and conserve natural habitats

• Has successfully engaged in reforestation, with more than 50% of the land being covered in forest

Energy Consumption

Costa Rica generates more than 98% of its electricity from renewable sources such as hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar

Community based tourism

• community run lodges and tours in rural areas to allow locals to benefit directly from tourism while preserving their cultural heritage

• Rural Community Tourism provides tourists with authentic experiences like farming, cooking, handicrafts that support the local economy.

Sustainable Tourism

• Created the Certification for Sustainable Tourism to certify hotels, operators, and businesses that met the strict environmental and socal standards.

• Rates from 1 to 5 “leaves” based on energy efficiency, local guides

Challenges

• Hot spots in Manuel Antonio National Park experience overcrowding (360,000 tourists/year), puts stress on local ecosystems, such as the beaches clean sands, flora, and variety wildlife, such as squirrel monkeys and pelicans.

• Prohibition of sports fishing

• Carbon emissions for air travel and the influx of international tourists

Mitigation efforts/solutions

• Promotes low-impact tourism by limiting the number of visitors to national parks and sensitives areas

• Many eco-lodges and tour operators participate in carbon offset programs that plant trees to compensate for the carbon footprint of tourists

• Education: sustainable tourism is integrated into school programs and initiatives that includes community and tourists