Ecotourism - the Green Heart of Costa Rica
- Stefania Dall'Armi
- Mar 26, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 27, 2020
Ecolodge at Juan Castro Blanco National Park, Costa RicaBefore deciding the destination of my summer trip 2019 I did a long Google research to see what were the the most environmentally-friendly destinations to travel to. Costa Rica always appeared to be in one of the first places in the most of websites, ranking and lists of green destinations. Why not to check it with my own eyes?
I remember that as soon as I arrived in Costa Rica I could see in first person what ecotourism means. Many signs explaining and encouraging conservation, the promotion of national parks as must-see places, plastic-free hotels and ecolodges with... cold showers (don't worry, it's not like that everywhere!)
What is Ecotourism?
It is easy to think of Costa Rica as a green country but ecotourism doesn't usually follow automatically. Ecotourism is an alternative practice to tourism, but it differently does not cause negative impact on the environment, giving the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful surroundings that nature offers. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) describes ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education" (1).
Costa Rica pioneered the eco-tourism trend, and its Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program is recognised by the United Nations World Tourism Organization as the model for sustainable tourism practices in Latin America. The nation is recognised as one of the few with true ecotourism, which involves almost every kind of sectors from tourism to conservation, education, hospitality, construction, travel and economy (2).
Conservation
Ecotourism draws many tourists to visit the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Currently, Costa Rica counts 29 national parks all managed and protected by The National System of the Conservation Areas (SINAC) and the department of Costa Rica's Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE).
The national parks together with other wildlife reserved and protected lands occupy a 26% of the national land. Most of the tours in Costa Rica are 'ECO'. Well, that comes with no surprise thinking that almost all the treasures of the country reside in its nature. Costa Rica offers the opportunity to experience many different ecosystems, from the coastline beaches, the rolling jungle hillsides, to the oceans and the mangroves. For a tiny country of just 19,730 sq. miles (51,100 sq. km), it is really a lot! (3).
Moreover, ecotourism provides direct financial benefits for conservations. It also includes all those environmental projects, which every year attract thousands of international volunteers to help protecting the nature of Costa Rica by financial aids and concrete help.
"Do not ruin. Beautiful planets are hard to find"Education
Conservation is very important to the locals, who are very committed to the environment. But how about tourists? It is one of the main roles of ecotourism to educate international visitors about the history of Costa Rica's natural beauty and at the same time correct wrong behaviours.
Almost all the national parks have explanatory spots where tourists can learn about the ecosystems, flora and fauna Costa Rica offers. It is not hard to spots in protected areas or near the sea some signs driving the visitors to adopt a sustainable behaviour towards the nature.
Delivering memorable and interpretative experiences to visitors is very important to ecotourism, which ultimately help to build environmental and cultural awareness and respect towards the local and indigenous communities.
Sustainable Travel
Whether tourists are nature lovers or adrenaline seekers, all the excursions many tours operators offer are done by non or low-polluting means. Walking tours are the most obvious, but horse riding, kayak, paddle boarding, rafting, canoeing are some of the most popular means of transportation for adventurous tourists.
Moreover, thanks to the National Electric Transportation Plan is easy for tourists to find electric cars they can hire. The government is also working on reactivating the railroad between this year and 2023 from the capital, San José, to the Pacific Coast with an electric train.
“For the railroads to achieve again the railroad to the Pacific, rehabilitated and in operation, is something that fills us with great enthusiasm,” says Elizabeth Briceño Jiménez, executive president of the Costa Rican Railroad Institute (INCOFER). “We are sure that this will contributes to the economic recovery of the area and will generate employment, and that it is also another step to return return to the rail legacy of our grandparents in Costa Rica.” (4)
Hospitality
However, Costa Rica's ecotourism extends far past the excursions and activities offered to the visitors, there is also a big emphasis and green and sustainable practices to accommodate them. Eco hotels are a part of the country's sustainable tourism efforts. They not only provide employment to the local community but they also promote environmentally sound practices. The government encourages hotels to conserve energy through passive design and construct with eco-friendly material. These hotels have a reasonable approach towards recycling, waste and water management. They generally use funds from the parks to support management of sustainable practices, and maintaining areas within the park, directly contributing to the conservation of vital habitats (5).
Economy
Finally, it cannot be denied that from more than a decade ecotourism represents one of the largest industries of the country, and more than 6% of Costa Rica’s GDP, according to ICT statistics. Year after year there is an increase in the numbers of tourists which arrive at the international airport. During the first half of 2019, 1.73 million visitors arrived in Costa Rica, a figure 3.9% higher than that reported in the same period in 2018, behavior that is explained by the rise in the arrival of tourists from North America (6).
Ecotourism generates financial benefits for both local people and private industry. For its nature, it stimulates and gives opportunity to micro, small and medium, rural and urban businesses. Regular tourism implies big investments like: land, hotel constructions, ports, golf courses and airports (7).
Costa Rica’s tourism industry has developed from both an environmental as well as an economic point of view. Protecting the vast natural treasures of the country while bringing economic opportunities to the rural areas.
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