September 2009 598 john rutter an ecotourism case study. The osa peninsula is the last remaining section of costa rica s pacific coast where ecotourism is the dominant economic activity. Biodiverstiy and tourism in costa rica march, 2001 6 1. Ecotourism in costa rica environmental impacts and. Costa rica is one of the few countries in the wold that has a certification program for sustainable tourism. Ecotourism costa rica the impacts on three guides it is hard to deny that ecotourism has benefited the nation of costa rica in a great number of ways. We enjoyed the ability of the guide to spot and identify so many of the bird species at a glance. The strong emphasis on sustainable practices and development of protected areas has boosted ecotourism in costa rica to a large degree. Whether or not ecotourism in costa rica will prove to be sustainable in the longterm remains to be seen. Ecotourism in costa rica sustainable eco travel vacations. The lsu agleadership class xiii experienced the rainforests on the arenal hanging bridges and. As a result, its biodiversity is virtually unparalleled.
The ecotourism boom began in the mid1980s and really took off in the 1990s with 800,000 foreigners visiting the central american nation in 1995, 1. Costa rica description cost rica is a central american country of 3. Ecotourism costa rica, information about ecology and. For more than three decades, however, nat hab has been guiding guests through costa ricas natural wonders. This is a mission close to my costa ricas own philosophy and our costa rica ecotourism nature packages are perfect for the environmentally aware ecotourist. For example, in costa rica, ecuador, nepal, kenya, madagascar and territories such as antarctica, ecotourism represents a significant portion of the gross domestic product and economic activity. The lsu agleadership class xiii experienced the rainforests on. Costa rica road map, costa rica go visit costa rica. Ecotourism is an alternative for us to practice tourism without causing negative impact in the environment, enjoying the wonderful surroundings that nature offers. A major portion of the early ecotourism research is based on experiences from costa rica. The osa peninsula is the last remaining section of costa ricas pacific coast where ecotourism is the dominant economic activity.
Nowadays a major ecotourism and adventure hotspot, costa rica also attracts scientists. But no matter how you define it, costa rica is a beacon for sustainability and environmentally friendly tourism. The 495page new key to costa rica gives you all the information you need to plan an ecofriendly costa rican vacation. Costa rica case study unedited working paper 1 1 introduction. Costa rica has been the early playground for researchers, a country where theories and practices could be tested, measured, and evaluated. By the early 1990s, costa rica became known as the poster child of ecotourism.
By the early 1990s, costa rica became known as the poster child of. Other organizations, such as sustainable tourism international and the international ecotourism society also provide certification, accommodation listings, and information. Introducing ecotourism to venado island, costa rica prepared by bjorn g. Ensuring excellent ecotourism, costa rica has devoted an estimated 26% of its land to national parks, wildlife reserves and protected lands. Costa rica maps to help you plan your vacation go visit costa rica. In order to increase the likelihood that ecotourism achieves goals of sustainable development in costa rica, all of the key actors must to begin to take more proactive measures in order to ensure that ecotourism is carefully planned and implemented. Ecotourism has more promise for achieving sustainability than alternative types of land use such as agriculture, cattle grazing, logging, or mass tourism. Other exemplary operators include costa rica expeditions, 22570766 and costa rica sun tours tel 8662716263 in the u. Along with the cheaper ones, there are some of the worlds most opulent and expensive options. Best costa rica information anywhere ridiculously helpful says k.
Ecotourism in costa rica is a robust industry because the country was one of the earliest adopters of connecting naturewildlife conservation with responsible travel costa rica has been ranked among the worlds best ecotourism destinations on more than one occasion, and became the first country in the americas to ban hunting in 2012. Ecotourism and sustainable development in costa rica. The human development model has always been based in the exploitation of the natural resources. Globally we are witnessing growing environmental destruction, particularly to the natural resource bases of underdeveloped countries. Costa rica, known as the poster child of ecotourism, is one of the top 20 countries on the planet with regards to biodiversity the amount of exotic species you will see out there is mind blowing. Entrepreneurs and the cocreation of ecotourism in costa rica. Which tools and techniques were used in order to develop to one of the most popular destinations for sustainable tourism. Costa rica maps visit costa rica costa rica tourism. The country is among many developing nations that look to ecotourism as a way of cashing.
Ecotourism and conservation of natural resources pdf. It means responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the wellbeing of the local people. Sustainable travel and ecotourism in costa rica frommers. It is one of the worlds top tropical wet forest research centers. Rios tropicales has the largest private rainforest reserve on the pacuare river in costa rica. In costa rica, green travel is more than a buzzword. Research methodologies for planning ecotourism and nature conservation 79 it to be tourism to natural areas that fosters environmental understanding, appreciation and conservation and sustains the culture and well being of local communities’. With over 300000 national park visits per year, costa rica is among the worlds first eco travel destinations. Conservation strategies, protected areas, and ecotourism. Annually, more than one million tourists visit the country, and the tourism industry has an annual. Costa rica itself and the incredible ecosystem with all the birds, flora and other creatures, was the highlight.
For the reasons mentioned above, costa rica was chosen as the first case. These studies provide greater context for understanding how ecotourism plays out against other. With 28 national parks, 58 wildlife refuges and scores more protected nature reserves, costa rica offers so much to see and do that planning a trip on your own can be overwhelming. Twilas mike danna concludes our central american profile series with ecotourism in costa rica. Coastal and marine tourism in costa rica, panama and. Ecotourism visit costa rica costa rica tourism official. Costa rica s push towards ecotourism began with the establishment of the cabo blanco national reserve in 1963 and the first national parks in 1971. Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed natural areas, intended as a lowimpact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial mass tourism.
The trend continued and today the costa rican park system includes 70 entities and protects over 3,221,000 acres 1,303,492 ha. We help you plan your trip to costa rica with unique maps of costa rica road map. It therefore offers a unique possibility to ground test the economic, social and environmental impacts of ecotourism compared with other employment. Conservation strategies, protected areas, and ecotourism in costa. The discussions about the management of ecotourism as a resource, including the development of national parks, control over foreign investment, provision of business incentives, and regulation of certification programs are particularly useful. Costa rica free printable map download costa rica guide. The capital, san jose, is in a valley with dormant volcanoes on either side. Costa ricas landscape has fascinated travelers for centuries, establishing costa rica as a popular tourist destination hintzen 2014. Ecotourism must account for social, economic and environmental implications, in order to succeed. Opportunities and threats to local sustainable development. The human development index places it as a highlevel country. Ecotourism is often misinterpreted as any form of tourism that involves nature see jungle tourism. View a large printable pdf of costa rica national park map. Trends in coastal and marine tourism in the area of study since mid 1980s, costa rica was able to develop an interesting model of nature basedtourism, ecotourism, which has provided a series of economic, social and.
Ecotourism isnt only about conversing environments. Its greatest benefits in the social, economic, environmental and cultural areas have helped put the little country of costa rica onto the international map awareness setting costa rica as a worldwide leader and a success story of how ecotourism can positively impact a whole country as long as it is done properly, at an early stage of. We saw 127 different species of birds alone the food was so delicious and the people were so nice. Avis on the map from the late 1980s until 1994, when perry relocated the system to a more accessible.
Ecotourism in costa rica is one of the key activities of the tourism industry in the country. Despite of the still present menace of deforestation, costa rica has a. The new key to costa rica guidebook key to costa rica. Ecotourism has a great impact in the economy as a private sector and as part of the touristic activities in general. Ecotourism in costa rica perhaps more than anyone else, it was the two writers of a field guide about tropical birds that were responsible for the ecotourism movement in costa rica. Kudos to costa rica that 23% of its national territory is protected and by. Summary of the socioeconomic situation in costa rica1. The deterioration of the natural ecosystems and the disappearance of species are environmental problems growing since long time ago. Costa ricas push towards ecotourism began with the establishment of the cabo blanco national reserve in 1963 and the first national parks in 1971. The handy printable highway map of costa rica includes a table of driving distances and an alphabetical index of grid coordinates for most cities and towns and. Figure 2 map of the osa peninsula and ecotourism study sites. Author beatrice blake has 30 years of experience in writing only about costa rica, and was instrumental in the development of the ecotourism movement that has made costa rica famous. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds for. Ecotourism development in costa rica is a concise, clearlywritten, and balanced portrait of ecotourism as a development strategy in costa rica.
Hotels, adventure, beach, hike, relaxation, these vacation. Costa rica national park map, costa rica go visit costa rica. Hereby the activities to promote sustainability and conservation are necessary. Costa rica is considered one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Conservation strategies, protected areas, and ecotourism in. Costa rica maps visit costa rica costa rica tourism official. Costa rica is known as one of the premier sites to study and experience highaltitude tropical cloud forests and nature conservation forsyth, 1988. As long as guidelines and legislation is in place, ecotourism in costa rica should be a positive experience for all involved. Mar 07, 2014 twilas mike danna concludes our central american profile series with ecotourism in costa rica. Keywords costa rica development strategy ecotourism impact assessment sustainable tourism 1 ecotourism. Every year, many thousands of visitors come to costa rica because of one simple fact. It is bordered by nicaragua and panama in the north and south, respectively, and by the caribbean and pacific oceans on the east and west. The new key to costa rica guidebook key to costa rica guidebook.
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