The word ecotourism has not been around for that many years. However it is a word that has briskly become suitable for hotels and tourist attractions alike. This statement can not be more proper to say pertaining to Latin American countries, primarily Costa Rica, which has a high rate of international tourism. Ecotourism is not a word that everyone understands. It is a term that could have multiple meanings. When it comes down to it, though, there are two things an ecotourism project must include. Tourism can be considered ecotourism when it includes community participation, support conservation efforts, and is profitable and able to sustain itself. The lack of the common definition of ecotourism results in multiple interpretations. Even if everyone concurs on the immense plan, conservation groups and tour agencies will still have different interpretations of what represents ecotourism. In Costa Rica, and pretty much everywhere in Latin America, anything that used the word “eco” thrived. One example that is most doubted, was the development of the “Eco-Rent a Car.” It seemed that any establishment that used the word “Eco” would be affluent because people were concerned about the environment.
Costa Rica is situated on the Central American Isthmus and is bordered by Nicaragua to the North and Panama to the South. Its area totals 51,000 square miles, of which only 440 are water due to the extensive mountains dominating the majority of the country?s area.
The Term Paper on Eco-tourism
... well. Latin America is seen as the heart of eco-tourism and in Costa Rica, eco-tourism is rising by about 20% each year. ... and other surrounding pacific nations, Australia boasts of a large ecotourism joint agreement that has seen all the members of the ... of the world is often confused with similar terminologies. Buzz words such as ‘adventure travel,’ ‘sustainable travel,’ ‘green travel’ and ‘ ...
Costa Rica is in the thick of a dramatic progression from a small, Central American country known for bananas and coffee into a gateway for international commerce between Latin America and the rest of the world. Costa Rica is a highly attractive country filled with beautiful mountain ranges, unruffled beaches, and friendly natives. It also offers a stable economic and political environment and first class communication and transportation networks. All of these characteristics, among others, have been fueling a movement of multi-national companies, tourists, and American retirees into Costa Rica to benefit from the many precious luxuries the country has to offer.
It can be adequately predicted that Costa Rica, specifically the San Jose, the capital city, and the coastal regions on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, have the potential of becoming places comparable to place in the United States. For businesses, places will begin to take on the same aspects of our Silicon Valley in California. The more resort-like places are beginning to feel more and more like places such as Ft. Lauderdale and St. Petersburg. That is to say, the United States? and other countries? computer companies, tourists, and retirees continue this trend of movement into Costa Rica.
This direction presents geographers, environmentalists, politicians, and economists with the plague of overwhelming tasks in preventing the destruction of Costa Rica?s environment, society, culture, and natural resources.
However, these are not the only issues ecotourism presents. ?Since the mid-1980s, this tiny Central American country has been transformed from a staging ground for the covert U.S. war against Nicaragua and testing ground for USAIDS?s free-trade and privatization policies into a laboratory for green tourism?(Honey 131).
When Costa Rica?s President, Oscar Arias Sanchez, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987, he brought recognition to his small Central American country. This is the time, arguably, that ecotourism ignited its flame in Costa Rica.
According to Honey, the U.S. Adventure Travel Society named Costa Rica the ?number one ecotourism destination in the world.? Costa Rica?s Gross net proceeds have risen from ?117 million dollars in 1984 to 718 million dollars in 1995?(Honey 133).
The Business plan on Costa Rica Country Panama Central
Executive Summary: Rica Cheesecake & Coffee Company Imagine sitting at a trendy and relaxing caf'e in the middle of a dynamic and energetic town square, in Latin America, enjoying a cup of fine coffee with a slice of delicious American style cheesecake. You have just entered the world of Rica Cheesecake and Coffee Company. Our team was tasked with developing a concept or service in a foreign ...
Facing the task of accomplishing tolerable development in Costa Rica is not distinct, however, requires educational contribution, physical efforts, and cooperation of everyone residing in the country. Although there are many issues concerning sustainable development in Costa Rica requiring a vast array of solutions, the growing tourism industry and preventing the destruction of the environment through ecotourism should be Costa Rica?s primary objective.
Ecotourism, however, is an alternative to mass tourism that is educational, conserves the environment, and benefits the local communities.
The political and economic history of Costa Rica calls the attention of many businesses and corporations exploring foreign direct investment in the region mainly because of stability. Very few Central American nations can gloat about political and economic stability.
In the midst of the growing trend toward globalization, many international companies have found Costa Rica to be what they would expect from bigger Latin American countries such as Brazil. Costa Rica possesses many attributes that make it so appealing to people. It is in a good location, an educated labor force, low cost of living, minimal operating costs, economic stability, and political support.
The election of Miguel Angel Rodriguez Echeverria as President of Costa Rica in 1998 has played a huge role in recent deals between the government and foreign companies. A few days after taking office, the President announced a modernization and privatization plan calling for reduced inflation and incresed employment by increasing investment, tourism, and small businesses. One of the more eloquent developments in Costa Rica?s economy is Intel?s announcement to construct a 300 million dollar Pentium processor chip in a suburb of San Jose, Costa Rica?s capital city. The greatness of this project extends well beyond the benefits to the local economy. The new plant will employ 2,000 locally hired skilled workers to assemble and test microprocessors designed by Intel. Also, it is expected that many of Intel?s suppliers will follow them and move into the region. This movement is makes it justifiable that Costa Rica?s central valley is becoming closer to becoming dubbed the ?Silicon Valley of Latin America.? Also, large national firms such as Acer and Microsoft have joined forces in Costa Rica to offer customer support to its worldwide clientele. In addition, Motorola closed a deal to build a $15 million dollar facility within the country.
The Essay on Costa Rica Grant Park Island
A previously unknown variety of three-toed lizard begins attacking children in Costa Rica. A sample carcass of the lizard is sent to a lab at Columbia University, where a lab technician, believing it is a dinosaur, calls the renowned paleontologist, Dr. Alan Grant. When Grant receives a fax of the lizard's skeleton, he is shocked to see that it is in fact a dinosaur. Before he can investigate any ...
Costa Rica?s up and coming stable business environment is also attracting real estate speculators. Many people are moving to Costa Rica to enjoy the splendid climate and scenery of the coast. In addition to the country?s cherished banana plantations, coffee fields, and grazing land, the emanating real estate and technology markets raise disturbance about Costa Rica?s environment. Taking into mind on how small the country is, there are grim limitations as to how much development can be sustained before Costa Rica is ultimately destroyed.
Besides the businesses affecting Costa Rica, tourism affects it as well. ?Any human activity affects the environment and in turn, changes in its state have an economic impact?(Sinclair 255).
The ecotourist seeks out to do ?environmentally safe? things. Meaning they set out to remote areas attracted by the beautiful environment, recreational and sporting resources, and culture. However, as Sinclair and Stabler say, ?Tourists require secondary supporting ones(resources), such as accommodation, transport facilities, shops, restaurants, and other services which entail physical changes in the destination, including expansion of the built environment.?
Like expanding businesses into and area and disrupting the environment, tourism does just the same. In addition, they both consume resources. However, the government takes little authority to help preserve the environment. In actuality, ?tourism destroys tourism.? (Secretariat 67).
Regions that are equipped with a top of the line environment are faced with two main problems. The region has to face whether or not to promote economic activity, and if it does, accept some sort of environmental decay. Moreover, they have to decide whether or not to give preference to environmental conservation, however, give up potential profit from tourism.
The Term Paper on Costa Rica 4
Costa Rica Known for it s natural beauty and gracious people is a small country located in Central America. Located between the countries of Nicaragua and Panama, bordered by both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea is a true gem, the Republic of Costa Rica. Located ten degrees north of the equator Costa Rica is in the tropics and even though it is a small country it has a very diverse landscape ...
Although Costa Rica is wealthy compared to its Latin American counterparts, it has been fixedly dependent on the few tropical export products it produces. Justifiably, the profits from international companies and tourism are always a benefit for the countries economy. Tourism in Costa Rica is not just beach resorts and historical places. In contrast, the country?s main tourist industry revolves around the environment and the resources it has to offer. But like I said before, this may sound good for the environment, but the fact remains: The environment is being disrupted. Costa Rica now has twenty-four national parks which are strategically placed in most of the country?s ecological zones.
However, these national parks suffer from the concept of ecotourism. ?Costa Rica?s national park system has received minimal benefit and many new problems from the ecotourism boom?(Honey 142).
Quite a few parks have endured environmental decomposition and the loss of wildlife due to too many visitors. One example given is the Manuel Antonio national park. It was a very small park, but the country?s most famous. Its white sand beaches and mountains in the distance brought at least 250,000 visitors in 1994. There were more than 100 hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, and casinos that lined the proximity of the park. The park that was meant to be for the good, slowly becoming ugly and destroyed.
So what should Costa Rica?s government do after presented with such problems? On one hand they are gaining recognition and money, and on the other they are losing the aesthetics of their environment. In fact, there have been a few efforts made towards preservation in Costa Rica. This idea will not only allow Costa Rica?s population to benefit from international companies, but allow them to reap the benefits of preservation efforts of environmentalists throughout the country and the world.
Much of the population are well educated and are fully aware of the ecological importance and sensitivity of their homeland and have been educated in the field of preservation. This has created a political environment consisting of many organizations, funds, and cooperative efforts promoting responsible and proper use of Costa Rica?s terrain. Through these conservation efforts, the Costa Rican government can brag bout protecting 90 percent of its existing forests and the largest percentage of land solely dedicated to national parks in the world.
The Term Paper on Brazil vs. Costa Rica
... of and demand for ecotourism" . Costa Rica has been promoting and expanding its ecotourism industry. The Environmental Secretariat and the Costa Rican Tourism Institute have become ... Forest region of the state of Sao Paolo. This project will benefit six parks which will benefit by retaining their visitors and ...
There were a few projects, not affiliated with the government. One of these projects allotted land around Braulio Carrillo, a national park, that would in fact, create a ?buffer zone? around the park to minimize adverse affects of development to that region. Other projects would directly face the problems arising due to increased industrial activity such as carbon dioxide pollution. The Costa Rican ministry of natural resources has confronted the challenge of providing alternative energy sources that would drastically reduce pollution due to the boom of ecotourism. Economically, this would be a hard feat. Until, the New World Power Corp. came up with the idea for the Tierras Morenas Wind Farm Project. This project would fabricate a 20-megawatt power plant consisting of 40 wind generators. However, this is one of the few projects the government has take interest in. This project is expected to reduce the carbon dioxide levels by 100 tons a year. This is actually a great figure considering the country?s size and expanding technology industry.
Educational and preservation foundations, such as the Bosque Lluvioso Foundation, are privately funded and dedicated to preserving and restoring forests while expanding scientific and educational programs aimed at the understanding of the essential value of tropical rain forests. The Monteverde Biological Corridor Carbon Sequestration is an example of how the US Joint Initiative, the Arenal and Monteverde Conservation Associations and the San Luis Development Association joined forces to effectively protect the environment. Many conservation groups are exploring ecotourism projects as an a potential option considering its ability to receive funds and profits due to increased tourism in Costa Rica.
The instance with the Wind Farm project is a prime example on showing how success can be achieved through ecotourism when efforts are collaborated between environmental groups, government, and private foundations. The Limon Watershed Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in response to widespread logging in southeastern Costa Rica and to the deterioration of the water quality in the area?s rivers. Since the 1997 establishment, the Foundation has promoted cooperation between local farmers, agricultural corporations, government agencies and non-government agencies in cutting down on illegal logging and wood extraction from protected lands.
The Term Paper on Eco Tourism 2
... and governments define ecotourism differently. Environmental organizations have generally insisted that ecotourism is naturebased, sustainably managed, conservation supporting, ... the environment. * Costa Rica For many in the world, eco tourism is synonymous with Costa Rica and rightly ... host countries” (Honey, 1999). Many of the ecotourism projects are not meeting these standards. Even if some ...
Newer projects include plans to protect rain forest vegetation along watersheds of the region?s rivers, educate residents, monitor and prevent illegal activities in the region?s parks and reserves, and expand the ?buffer zones.? Ecotourism in Costa Rica has been a success so far, but there is more to do of they want to maintain the nickname ?Natural Costa Rica.? With everything from watching any of the 360 species of birds, to kayaking, to volcano climbing, Costa Rica is trying to keep its terrain as pure as they can while at the same time trying to earn profits from tourists. However, beside not buildidng huge fancy resorts, there are steps and precautions to take while trying to preserve the environment. Projects proclaimed by conservation groups may have good conservation strategies, but tend to lack marketing knowledge and comprehension of the tourism industry. The lack of such knowledge causes these projects to fail. On the contrary, some large tourism businesses offer nature tours that are highly profitable but include little or no community partnership or conservation assistance. Hence, very few nature tourism projects can meet the criteria of being successful. So the main point is not t ask what is ecotourism, but what could be ecotourism.
Bibliography:
Bibliography Harrison, David. Tourism and the Less Developed Countries. Halsted Press, New York, 1992. Honey, Martha. Ecotourism and Sustainable Development. Island Press, Washington, D.C. 1999. Krause, Walter. International Tourism and Latin American Development. The University of Texas, 1994 O?Grady, Ron. Tourism in the Third World. New York, 1982. Sinclair, Thea M. Stabler, Mike. The Economics of Tourism. New York, 1997
