ECO-TOURISM

ECO-TOURISM

"Eco-tourism" is a term so often used in Costa Rica its meaning has become elusive. It is
intended to mean "ecological" tourism or "nature-oriented" tourism. However, since it has
turned into a phrase used to promote any kind of tourism, one should be critical of how and
by whom it is used.
The activities in this packet have been designed to give the student insights into the
complicated issues surrounding eco-tourism.

Activity 1: Defining Eco-Tourism

Activity 2: The (Ir)Responsible Tourist
Activity 3: A Snapshot of Costa Rica=s Biodiversity
Activity 4: Voting with Your Feet: The Effects of Tourism
Activity 5: Your Favorite Place
Activity 6: Eco-development in Costa Rica: A Town Meeting Simulation

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OVERVIEW
Costa Rica, a natural destination
Since the 1980s, Costa Rica's national tourist board, the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo
(ICT), has been promoting eco-tourism. Because Costa Rica could not compete with the
beautiful beaches of the Caribbean or Mexico, the ICT decided to concentrate on Costa Rica
as a natural destination--a wise choice, as approximately 25% of Costa Rican forests are
preserved in some way (approximately 12% in national parks and reserves). Despite this
protection, the country continues to be deforested at an alarming rate. (See Activity 1 in
Environmental Studies in Costa Rica.)
Seasonal tourism
Another consideration of the ICT is that tourism in Costa Rica is seasonal. The high season
for tourism includes the months of December, January, February, and March. Because of
higher rainfall, the months of lowest tourism levels tend to be May, June, September, and
October.
The growth of tourism
From 1988-1991, tourism grew very rapidly in Costa Rica, with a 19% increase each year.
In 1995, 800,000 tourists were expected, and by 1998--1,358,000. Some say, however, that
the Costa Rican "eco-tourism boom" is declining. The number of people indicating they
came to Costa Rica for bird watching and natural history was highest in 1993. In 1995, more
tourists said they came for sun and beach recreation, rather than ecotourist activities. This
trend may continue as several new, large beach and golf tourist complexes on the Pacific are
planned and approved by the government, including the 20,000 room Papagayo project.
Tourism on the Osa Peninsula
On the Osa Peninsula, where the eco-tourism simulation activity from this packet takes
place, tourism is on a much smaller scale. From 1990 to 1994, tourism grew from 4,390 to
19,164 people visiting the area. Statistically, this is a 400% increase. As the infrastructure
of electricity and better roads develops in the Osa, so will tourism. Whether the tourism will
be "sustainable" (providing for future generations) remains to be seen.

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Foreigners reap the monetary benefits of tourism

The World Bank estimates that 55% of the gross tourism income in underdeveloped
countries goes to the developed countries. The exact figure of tourism income leaving Costa
Rica is unknown; however it is assumed that because of the large number of foreign
businesses in country and purchases of imported goods, the benefits of tourism to Costa
Ricans are diminished. The ICT is now promoting projects in which Costa Ricans
themselves gain the economic benefits of tourism. One way to work toward this idea is to
promote small scale, eco-friendly and sustainable lodge designs for tourists. Guidelines and
sustainable tourism ratings and ethics for lodges are mentioned in the New Key to Costa Rica
guide by Beatrice Blake and Ann Becker.
Foreign tourists pay for services received
With the recent increase in national park entrance fees for foreigners, tourists now contribute
to the maintenance and preservation of reserves. Up until 1994, it cost only $1.50 per person
per day to visit the national parks. In 1995 the rates were raised to about $10 per day for
foreigners. This fee increase relieves the Costa Rican governments responsibility to fund
the parks.
Some of this money is used to improve interpretive programs at the parks and reserves.
Often tourists are uninformed when taking nature hikes. Tourists who participate in
educational programs, such as slide shows and natural history walks, provided by the parks
and private reserves or lodges are more likely to donate additional money for reserve
maintenance, environmental education, and training programs for local guides.
Tourism affects communities
Another area of consideration within the issue of eco-tourism is the effects the presence of
tourists have upon a local community. Often locals are concerned that their family values
and way of life will be changed by the influence of tourists. With women working outside
their homes, employed by the hotel/restaurant industry, family life changes. Social problems
(delinquency, drug use, and prostitution) and crime have increased in some areas.

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Activity 1: Eco-tourism

DEFINING ECO-TOURISM
Subject: Language Arts, Spanish and World Languages, Social Studies
Grade level: 6-9
Group size: small/large group
Methods: discussion, cooperative groups
Skills: identification, listening skills, critical thinking, cooperative decision making, problem-solving,
sequencing
Duration: 1 class period

Purpose:
Students will identify the activities that define the concept of eco-tourism, and the impact
of these activities on the local communities.
Objectives:
Students will:
1. Compare and contrast tourist activities.
2. Create a working definition of eco-tourism.
Materials:
Colored paper (6-7 colors)
Pens
Activity Groups list
Procedure:
1. Write the term eco-tourism on the board to provoke interest and give direction to
this lesson. Students should be advised that this is an activity related to the
environment. They will be creating a definition of eco-tourism during the activity.
2. Inform the class that each student will assume the role of a tourist on vacation, and
receive a colored card with an activity on it. (See activity groups for card
preparation.) There will be 6-7 different card colors (dependent on class size) to help
students identify and come together with a group. There will be four students in each
group, and upon coming together, each group should sit in a circle and create a
written list of 4-5 things that their activities have in common. After approximately
five minutes, each group will present these similarities to the class.
Example: These are all water sports, they are all outdoor activities, they appeal to
teenagers, etc.

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3. Pass out the colored activity cards that are well mixed, one to each student. Students
should find their group and start working.
4. Monitor student groups during the five minutes.
5. Instruct the groups to stand, one group at a time. Each individual group member will
hold his/her activity card to be clearly visible to the class. One group member will
read the list of similarities out loud to the class.
6. Choose three students to come forward in front of the class with their cards. Pose this
question to the class: Which of these three activities is the most environmentally
sound and/or has the most positive impact on the community? The students will
literally be sequencing each other in a human number line. The left side of the
room can represent the least environmentally sound, and the right side can represent
the most environmentally sound.
7. Students should continue to discuss who should go where in line by activity. Once the
first three have been sequenced, the teacher can then choose another student to come
forward and be sequenced. This process can be repeated until one-third or one-half
of the class is sequenced, but the teacher need not go through the entire class. When
you are relatively comfortable that the students have a sense of what differentiates an
environmentally-sound activity from one that is not, stop the activity.
Closure:
Given the preceding activities and a gradual realization of how vacation-related pastimes
can be related to the environment, the students can then work as a class to create a
working definition of the phrase eco-tourism. Write this definition next to the term on
the board.

Activity Group Instructions

Card Size: Each activity will be written on a separate sheet of paper. Full 8 1/2 x 11
sheets work well, but may also be divided into half. The written activity should be large
enough for a student to read from 15-20 feet away.
Color: Each of the seven groups listed on the next page should be assigned a different
color. Each activity card within that group should reflect the like color. Students will
find their group by color.

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Activity Groups
I.
a.
b.
c.
d.

Just Add Water

White-water rafting
Waterskiing
Ice-skating at an indoor rink
Snorkeling

II. Spending Our Money

a. Visiting a shopping mall in San Jos
b. Eating at Taco Bell
c. Buying herbal teas at a women=s co-op
d. Visiting a local artisans market
III. Fun in the Sun
a. Suntanning at hotel beach
b. Suntanning at a beach in a national
park
c. Turtle-nesting tour on beach at night
d. Swimming at hotel pool
IV. Those Crazy Animals
a. Visiting the San Jos Zoo
b. Bird-watching in the Dry Forest
c. Bat netting at dusk to study various bat
species
d. Attending a snake-milking
demonstration at a snake museum
V. Back to Nature
a. Attending a lecture on deforestation
b. Banana plantation visit
c. Going on a coffee tour
d. Visiting an agroforestry project

VI. Equipment Required

a. Horseback riding
b. Golfing
c. Playing tennis at hotel courts
d. Mountain biking
VII. Natural Wonders
a. Hiking cloud forest trails at a private
reserve
b. Night walk at Arenal Volcano
c. Hiring a local guide for a rainforest
hike
d. Visiting Corcovado National Park

*These activities may be added for

larger classes, by Roman numeral.
I.
Surfing in the Atlantic
Ocean
II.
Buying t-shirts at a locally
owned souvenir shop
III.
Collecting and identifying
seashells on the beach
IV.
Feeding a wild iguana at a picnic
area
V.
Visiting a farming plot that
grows alternative crops
VI.
Four-wheel driving on country
roads
VII. Hiking to hot springs and natural
boiling mudpots

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Activity 2: Eco-tourism

THE (IR)RESPONSIBLE TOURIST

Subject: Language Arts, Social Studies, Spanish and World Languages
Grade level: 6-9
Group size: small/large group
Methods: pre-rehearsed skit/role play, discussion, cooperative groups, performance
Skills: listening, interpreting, critical thinking, formulating an original song, presentation
Duration: 1 class period

Purpose:
Students will be made aware of the marked difference between responsible and
irresponsible tourism, stressing the value of environmentally-sound tourism.
Objectives:
Students will:
1. Identify the qualities that distinguish a responsible from an irresponsible tourist.
2. Create a song/rap set to a given tune that reflects the do=s and don=t=s of a
conscientious eco-tourist.
3. Perform their song/rap for the benefit of the entire class.
Materials:
Skit: The (Ir)responsible Tourist
Procedure:
1. The skit should be given to two students (of the teachers choice) the day prior to this
activity. These two students will become familiar with their roles, anticipate
enthusiasm, gestures, props needed, voice inflections, etc.
2. At the beginning of the class period, these two students present the skit to the class.
They may move across the room or remain stationary. The remaining students should
listen carefully for the positive and negative tourist attitudes.
3. After the skit, lead a short discussion about reactions to the two distinct roles. Draw a
T-chart on the board--one side for eco-tourism dos and the other for donts. Fill
in the chart with student ideas.

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4. Using the T-chart of dos and donts, instruct the students that they will:
a. Be divided into groups of 4-5 (dependent on class size).
b. Create an original song or rap reflecting the qualities of an (ir)responsible
tourist.
c. Have 10-15 minutes to write their song.
d. Perform this song to the class after this allotted time.
(Provide students with a familiar song tune such as: Brady Bunch theme, Row, Row,
Row Your Boat, Gilligans Island, You Are My Sunshine, Take Me Out to the
Ballgame, Yankee Doodle Dandy, etc. Should the students decide to do a rap, this
could be to a familiar tune or an original one that they create.)
5. Students will perform their song or rap, one group at a time, in front of the class.
Closure:
1. This activity may work especially well with some type of reward (however small) to
prompt student motivation and involvement. Decide on a 1st place award for the
group that demonstrates the most creativity in content, enthusiasm, cooperation, etc.
A 2nd and 3rd place may also be given.
2. Close with a short reflection of the qualities of an ir/ responsible tourist as presented
in the songs. Relate this to how each student can employ the positive qualities
whenever he/she may be a tourist.
Extensions:
1. While a T-chart can be made for eco-tourism dos and donts, there is a gradation
within the donts whereby some activities are more or less harmful to the
environment than others. A supplementary activity can be added to extend this
understanding.
Next to the T-chart of eco-tourism donts, create a rating continuum--ranging from
and labeled as Most harmful to the environment on the left to Least Harmful to the
environment on the right. The midpoint on the line will be labeled as It depends
or Unsure. Ask students to place the donts on the continuum. (Prior to this, the
teacher may choose to have each student rate the donts on his/her individual
paper.)
A discussion can follow, reflecting the idea that while all of these listed activities
have a negative impact on the environment, some are clearly more detrimental and
should be avoided above all else.

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Skit: The (Ir)responsible Tourist

Abby: Im so glad our class decided to come to Costa Rica to study the environment!
This rainforest is really neat!!
Billy: Yeah, its pretty cool.
Abby: Im just thinking that we probably should have stayed with the guide and the
others...
Billy: Why? He didnt speak that much English, and I never paid enough attention in
Spanish class to understand him. Besides, were the tourists--he should speak our
language.
Abby: But what if we get lost?
Billy: Who cares? Come on, lets go see where this Do Not Enter area goes.
Abby: Billy, what are you doing with that lighter?
Billy: Its dark way in here; the trees are so thick that theres not much sunlight coming
in. I figured a little light would be in order. Hey-- we could light a small fire and
send up a smoke signal if we get really lost. (ha ha)
Abby: Dont you know anything? This is the dry season here, and the signs said no
fires of any kind!
Billy: Oh, big deal, Abby. Who are you--Smokey the Bear?
Abby: (Sarcastically) Very funny. A forest fire here would destroy not only the trees,
but all of the animals and birds that count on the forest as their home.
Billy: Yeah, yeah. (Loudly) Hey, LOOK!
Abby: (Whispering) Billy, keep your voice down! The guide said to be quiet to respect
the animals.

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Billy: Yeah, well, hes not here right now. But a monkey is! Look in that tree! See
him?
Abby: Neat! That must be the white-faced monkey that the guide was talking about.
Billy: Who cares? Quick--do you have anything to feed him?
Abby: Youre not supposed to feed them, Billy. They become too used to tourists, and
it disrupts their natural habits.
Billy: Heywouldnt he be neat to take home with us? So would this plant! Cool.
Abby: The guide said not to really touch anything-- remember, were the visitors here.
(Billy drops something.)
(Leaning over to pick it up) Which is exactly why you shouldnt be littering!
Billy: I just remembered-- I have my pocket knife along. We could carve our initials
into this HUGE tree here. (Mushy sounding) That way, everyone could see that
Billy loves Abby.
Abby: Get real! This tree is at least a hundred years old. We dont have the right to do
that!
Billy: Im bored. Lets go back to the hotel. We can swim in the pool. The chemicals
will wash off all this bug repellent Im wearing.
Abby: Chemicals, pollution...Its all connected. Does our hotel even care? You know,
I heard that our hotel was actually built by foreign investors who cut almost 100
acres of forest to clear the land. They didnt even stop to think how it would
affect the environment or the local community!
Billy: Yeah, but they have a neat gift shop. They have this big sculpture made of this
rare wood called Cocobolo (co-co-BEAU-lo) that I want to buy.
Abby: Cocobolo wood? Thats the tree that the guide pointed out to us as one of the
most endangered in all of Costa Rica!
Billy: So what? It was cool.

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Abby: Billy, Im starting to think that youre not cool. How would you like it if people
came to our area and had such little respect? You need to start caring about the
environment, and not just about yourself. We need to take steps to conserve and
improve our environment, so that we dont lose it. (With determination) Right
now, Im going to improve my environment, and lose you!

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Activity 3: Eco-tourism

A TOURISTS SNAPSHOT OF COSTA RICAS BIODIVERSITY

Subject: Social Studies, Language Arts, Science, Spanish (extensions)
Grade level: 6-9
Group size: individual or pairs
Methods: individual or pair map reading & matching of four biomes
Skills: reading, map comprehension
Duration: 20 minutes

Purpose:
To understand that there are many types of tropical forests.
Objective:
Students will be able to correctly match four tourist descriptions of Costa Ricas life
zones.
Materials:
Handout: A Tourists Snapshot of Costa Ricas Biodiversity
Maps of Costa Ricas life zones (See Exploring the Geography of Costa Rica pp. xvixvii.)
Large world map (helpful in introduction)
Background:
Students often use the term tropical rainforest as though it were the only type of forest
found in the tropics. This lesson introduces them to tropical dry forests, coastal forests
and mountain rainforests. This may be used as an out of class assignment or as
reinforcement, especially if the other map activity has been used.
Procedure:
1. Ask students in pairs to define the term tropical rainforest. Listen to definitions and
extend with these questions:
a. Are all rainforests in tropical areas? (No, a narrow strip of land along the U.S.
northwest coast could be called a middle latitude rainforest. Its where the famous
Redwood trees grow.)
b. What makes an area a forest, but not necessarily a rainforest? (Determined by the
amount of rain, not the temperature)
c. What does the term tropical mean? (On a world map, identify the belt which
is about 44 degrees of latitude wide which extends from about 22 degrees north to 22
degrees south latitude.)
d. Do all tropical areas have forests? (No, some of that land is farmland or city now;
some of it is so mountainous that no trees grow; some is savannah. Identify high
elevations where bushes and stunted trees would grow. Remind students that it gets
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colder in high elevations. Also, some tropical areas may have such poor soil that
trees might not be able to grow.)
e. Are all tropical forests the same? (No, the short readings on the worksheet will
illustrate the differences.)
2. Distribute worksheets and maps; read directions.
Closure:
1. Check papers for accuracy:
Written Descriptions: 1 = D

2=A

3= B

4=C

2. Ask why the term tropical rainforest is sometimes inappropriate. Ask students to
define the term tropical forest.
Extensions:
1. (Spanish, Art, Language Arts) Draw/write postcards from each of these types of
forest.
2. Design a complete brochure for the lodges or cabins described in A, B, C, and D.
Things to include in the brochures include: location/map, activities, cost, information
on why this lodge is ecology friendly.

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Name: _______________________

A Tourists Snapshot of Costa Ricas Biodiversity

Background: The term tropical forest can be used to describe 12 DIFFERENT life
zones in Costa Rica. (Your state may only have one or two different life zones.) Each
life zone includes unique plant and animal life. On the map, Costa Ricas twelve zones
have been generalized into four forest types.
Directions: Read the descriptions of the four areas and lodges. Then, using the map
match the forest type to its location.

Lodge
Match
1. wet tropical forest
2. dry tropical forest
3. coastal wet tropical forest
4. cloud forest mountain rainforest

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Lodge A
Kick off those tennis shoes and try on a pair of cowboy (vaquero) boots at the Hacienda
Los Inocentes! As you horseback ride through the forests and pastures of this working
ranch, look for toucans where forest meets the pasture. Look for monkeys moving in the tree
tops in thick forest cover.
In the area of Costa Rica longest settled by the Spanish, youll find our comfortable
lodge. Built by the Inocentes family in the 1800s, we have worked to maintain the homes
architectural integrity while still providing modern conveniences. Youll find the wide
verandas decked with comfortable chairs perfect for viewing sunsets and the changing color
and light surrounding the Orosi Volcano.
Once fire was a common element during the dry season (January to April) when virtually
no rain falls. Fire kept grasslands free of trees. The Spanish who settled here maintained
that open-space feeling with cattle ranches which youll still see today. Near the end of the
dry season, trees here turn a brilliant yellow and lose their leaves. With dry grasses, the area
has a golden glow.
Youll see all stages of succession on this private reserve: where grassland meets the
savanna and the savanna meets the forest. The savanna is a mix of grassland and large, flat
topped guanacaste trees, the symbol of our province, featured on our flag.

Lodge B
Take a quiet boat ride through Costa Ricas maze of inland waterways. Youll pass
through miles of lush lowland forest in a small boat or canoe, emerging finally at the ocean.
Study the storied canopy and youll see whole trees in bright flower, or monkeys bouncing
from tree to tree.
Explore estuaries, where the mixing of salt water and fresh water creates an
environment favored by mussels, clams and crustaceans. This environmentally sensitive
area produces life forms that form the base of the ocean food chain. At Sabinas Cabinas,
youll fall asleep listening to the sound of the surf. Take a guided night hike to see giant sea
turtles nest on sandy, uninhabited beaches. Or, you can don a pair of rubber boots and
explore rare forests, where trees can survive with roots submerged in water. Learn about the
tangled mangrove forests, which stand at the oceans edge. Scientists are just now learning
about how mangrove trees can filter salt water. Mangroves are pioneer land builders too!
With their roots, they catch soil which washes into rivers and protect themselves from tidal
erosion.
Its an unforgettable place, where youll be rewarded for your silence by the sight of a
sloth. Youll come away understanding the reason machetes are sold in local hardware
stores.

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Lodge C
Keep climbing and youll enter a realm of green stillness. Youll find an area bathed in
abundant moisture which rises from both of Costa Ricas coasts. This moisture--over six
feet of it yearly--feeds the farms and forests below. With this much moisture, youll see
fluorescent fungi hard at work if you take a night hike.
At 4,500 feet of elevation, youll find the air has cooled and hiking temperatures are
comfortable. Take time to search the canopy for birds and monkeys, to observe the lush
greenery and vines stretching tree to tree. Look inside a bromeliad, a plant with a cup at its
top, designed to catch water, and youll see a small universe of insects. Look for the colorful
quetzal, the national symbol of Costa Rica.
Stay at El Bosque, which means the forest in Spanish. Youll be within walking
distance of the Monteverde Reserve and the Childrens Rainforest, land purchased by
donations from school age children worldwide. Be sure to bring a sweater and rainwear for
your climb into the elven forest. Here, dwarfed trees are buffeted by high winds near the
continental divide. Our knowledgeable trail guides will tell you about the diverse life forms
and interrelationships between plants and animals.

Lodge D
Step into the green cathedral for a lifetime of inspiration. Youll find towering trees
which support themselves with thick buttresses, unique wide bases, as they search for
nutrients from the forest floor. Walk along the trails of our private reserve, but stop
frequently to listen and look. Give birds and beasts time to become accustomed to your
presence. Give your eyes time to adjust to an endless green profusion. Life seems to take its
most extravagant size and shape: giant trees like the ceiba, ferns taller than you, leaves as
large as umbrellas, huge neon blue butterflies called morphos, and toads you would need two
open hands to hold. This is the region of greatest biodiversity in Costa Rica.
La Selva, the name of our lodge, means the jungle in Spanish. Its a struggle for plant
species living here, who fight for light. Walking fig trees actually move, constantly
adjusting their position to get more light. A tree called the strangler fig uses a host tree for
support and eventually claims the life of that host.
Located along the Sarapiqui River, you might see otters playing outside the screened-in
dining room, which overlooks the river or you might decide to sign up for a white-water
rafting excursion. Our cabin walls are really screened windows. Our goal is to bring the
sounds of nature inside while insuring a comfortable nights rest.

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Activity 4: Eco-tourism

VOTING WITH YOUR FEET:

THE EFFECTS OF TOURISM IN COSTA RICA
Subject: Social Studies, Language Arts, Math (see extensions)
Grade level: 6-9
Group size: whole group
Methods: individual worksheet, discussion
Skills: discussion, analysis, classification, evaluation
Duration: 1 class period

Purpose:
To understand that promoting tourism has complex consequences.
Objective:
Students will be able to explain positive and negative effects of tourism.
Materials:
Handout: What Do You Think? (one per student)
Pencil, calculator (for math extension)
Teacher Notes: What Do You Think?
Rubric/Guidelines for Presentations
Background:
Many economies have shifted from industrial to service-based economies. Tourism is an
example of one service industry which has been promoted in developing nations.
Procedures:
1. Ask students where they have traveled and what the area was like, or use the activity
The Ir-Responsible Tourist. Ask if they think tourism is good for the people,
environment, and the economy.
2. Distribute the worksheet What Do You Think? and ask students to respond to the
items listed after reading the instructions and background.
3. Mark opposite sides of your chalkboard positive or negative or hang appropriate
signs at opposite ends of your classroom. Explain to students when they vote with
their feet that where they stand will show the strength of their opinion:

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--

very negative

++

undecided

very positive

4. Voting With Your Feet. Begin discussion by asking one or two rows of students to
stand with their worksheets. Direct them to move to the negative, positive or
undecided area of the classroom to show how they voted on worksheet item #1.
See Teacher Notes to aid in discussion. Ask students to explain why they voted as
they did. Try to get responses from all students. Invite seated class members to add
their comments, so that both sides of each topic are explained. Allow students to
move if they change their minds after hearing the opinions of others. Invite students
to extend their written ideas on why on their worksheets during this discussion.
5. After discussing two or three items on the worksheet, ask those students to take their
seats and bring a new group to the front to vote with their feet. Continue until all
students have had an opportunity to vote with their feet and explain their reasoning.
Closure:
1. Connect: ask students about local tourist attractions. In what positive or negative
ways has that area been affected by tourism.
2. Introduce these two goals held by many communities and nations:
a. protect the environment
b. provide jobs and economic growth
Ask students, either individually or in small groups, to rank order these goals and
explain their reasoning to the whole group. Ask: is it possible to have economic
growth and protect the environment? Explain that this is the idea behind sustainable
development. (See Glossary for definition.)
Assessment:
Ask students to write about the positive and negative effects of selected items from the
list. Create a rubric which will score quantity and quality of responses. (See sample
provided.)
Extensions/Interdisciplinary Connections:
1. (mathematics) Assign numeric ratings to each of the twenty items on What Do You
Think? and determine class averages. Compare with other sections or assign each
student to interview one adult and compare student responses with adult responses.
Use computers to generate bar graphs on data. Or, modify the worksheet to collect
student averages on responses before and after discussion of each item.
2. (language arts) Assign students to write an essay on tourism. It could relate to

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tourism in your area or what you learned in this activity about tourism in Costa Rica.
Find out if one of these essays could be published in your school or local newspaper.
3. (language arts) Draft a letter or letters to area Chambers of Commerce or city
administrators in areas with popular tourist attractions. In the letters (or fax) ask
officials to list ten positive and ten negative effects of tourism in that area, giving
specific dollar amounts generated by tourism if possible. Investigate how many jobs
and how much income is generated in your state by tourism.

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Name: ____________________________

What Do You Think?--The Effects of Tourism

Background:
Many countries (and maybe even your community!) try to attract tourists to help their
economies grow. The following items are facts about Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a small
country in Central America, about the size of West Virginia, with a population similar to
the state of Iowa.
Directions:
Items 1-10 describe some of the effects of tourism on Costa Rica. Read each item and
decide if you think this effect is positive or negative. Classify each item as P for
positive effects or N for negative effects. If you cannot decide if the item is positive or
negative, use ? for undecided. Briefly explain each choice after the word why?.
1. Tourism provides jobs for maids, waiters and taxi drivers.
WHY?:

2. Tourism increased from 20,000 tourists in 1989 to 700,000 in 1994.

WHY?:

3. Foreigners own most of the large resorts in Costa Rica.

WHY?:

4. Private organizations like The Nature Conservancy provide money to train

park rangers and guides who lead tourists on forest hikes.
WHY?:

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5. Hotel beach lights confuse turtles hatching on the beach. Their instincts direct
them towards the light, which is usually the moon reflecting on the ocean.
WHY?:

6. Citizens in nations like Sweden, Denmark and the U.S. have provided money
to preserve tropical forests in Costa Rica.
WHY?:

7. Since 1993, tourism is the number one source of income for Costa Rica.
WHY?:

8. Women formed cooperatives to create souvenirs like hand painted T-shirts

and woodcrafts for tourists to buy.
WHY?:

9. Volunteers come to Costa Rica each year to build and maintain hiking trails in
parks and reserves.
WHY?:

10. Costa Ricans who once worked on banana plantations find higher paying jobs
with less physical work by working in the tourist industry.
WHY?:

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Teacher Notes: What Do You Think?

Positive Effects

Negative Effects

1. Tourism provides jobs for maids, waiters and taxi drivers.

Employment provides a means of earning a living
and supporting a family.

These are traditionally low paying, unskilled jobs

usually without much chance for advancement.
Some locals come to resent rich tourists and
thefts become an issue. Some tourists are very
rude to local people.

2. Tourism has increased. In 1989 about 20,000 tourists visited Costa Rica. In 1994 about 700,000
visited Costa Rica.
Additional income helped Costa Rica develop its
infrastructure (roads, water systems, electricity) as
well as schools and medical facilities. Costa
Ricans became more interested in preserving
forests. Foreign income helps Costa Rica pay off
international debts because the tourists pay to see
the environment. Hotels, restaurants and many
other businesses grew or started.

This was a very rapid increase which resulted in

huge changes almost overnight. Forests were cut
and habitats changed to build high-rise hotels.
Small communities experienced rapid unplanned
growth. Prostitution and drug trade increased.
Trails became damaged and eroded in some areas
by overuse. Increased human traffic frightened
some animal species into the more remote areas of
the forest and fewer wildlife sightings are reported.
Uninformed tourists feed animals; attacks on
people by monkeys have resulted.

3. Foreigners own most of the large resorts in Costa Rica.

Foreigners advertise in their home country;
therefore increasing the number of tourists who
come to know and enjoy Costa Ricas tropical
forests and beaches.

Most of the income created by tourism flows out of

Costa Rica to these other countries; some Costa
Ricans feel invaded by foreigners.

4. Private organizations like The Nature Conservancy have provided money to train park rangers
and guides who lead tourists on forest hikes.
Local people have gained a clearer understanding
of Costa Ricas forests and wildlife. Some people
secured better paying, more skilled jobs.

The economy comes to depend on outside sources

for funding education & training; if the funding
stops, then what?

5. Hotel beach lights confuse baby turtles hatching on the beach. Their instincts direct them towards
the light, which is usually the moon reflecting on the ocean.
Awareness of these problems rose. Turtle
protection zones were established in many areas;
laws regarding lighting were created.

80% of Costa Rican beaches are developed. Turtle

nesting was greatly affected, further endangering
many species.

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6. Citizens in nations like Sweden, Denmark and the U.S. have provided money to preserve tropical
forests in Costa Rica.
Many acres of land have been put into private or
national parks and reserves. Biodiversity has been
maintained and international attention about the
importance of biodiversity has occurred. Many
research projects are in progress which may find
new medicines. Central American tropical forests
provide winter homes for birds commonly found in
North and South America. Forests reduce soil
erosion. This protects rivers. Forests provide
oxygen for the planet and clean up air pollution.

Foreign money has actually bid up the price of

land. This makes it difficult for local farmers,
called campesinos, to retain land for agricultural
use, as they may want to sell out their farm land for
a one time payoff. Two problems occur then:
the people have no way to earn a living and, if less
is grown, food becomes more expensive and more
would need to be imported. Currently, half of
Costa Ricas land is in some type of private or
public park or reserve.

7. Since 1993, tourism is the number one source of income for Costa Rica.
More money is available for a variety of uses; see
Tourism can be a fickle business; its possible that
#2.
tourists could tire of a place and want to go
somewhere new; bad publicity could seriously
damage a tourist industry and many people
livelihoods and social services would be affected.
8. Women formed cooperatives to create souvenirs for tourists to buy like hand painted T-shirts and
wood crafts.
Some womens cooperatives have become an
Working outside the home has created changes and
important source of money and self esteem for
sometimes conflict and envy within the home and
women in an area where they have been
community; traditional child care practices have
undervalued and under-educated.
been changed.
9. Volunteers come to Costa Rica each year to build and maintain hiking trails in parks and reserves.
Volunteers work for free and often pay their own
way. Free labor is especially valuable in a country
with restricted monetary resources. Many of the
information advantages expressed in #3 also apply.

Like tourists, volunteers also need places to sleep

and food to eat, which means more land is
developed. If free labor is available local people
may not be able to find work. Programs may
become dependent on outside help. Locals do not
learn to maintain the trails. See #1 & 2.

10. Costa Ricans who once worked on banana plantations find higher paying jobs with less physical
labor by working in the tourist industry.
Most people want to earn higher wages; that
money is spent and respected within the economy;
most people want to have an easier day than
working from dawn to dark under very hot and
dirty conditions in rural areas where there is risk
from pesticide-related illnesses and cuts by
machetes.

If the price of labor becomes too high, the banana

industry may cease to exist or pass along higher
costs to customers. Many Nicaraguans have fled to
Costa Rica, legally and illegally, to escape war and
worse economic conditions. They have taken these
low paying plantation jobs; social tension has
increased as some prejudice and hard feelings have
resulted.

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Rubric/Guidelines for Presentations

Good Job

Areas to Improve

Quantity of Effects explains 3 or more results of explains 2 or less results of

tourism
tourism
of Tourism
identifies positive and
negative effects of tourism

identifies positive or
negative effects of tourism
but not both

essay is legible; uses topic

sentences; distinct ideas are
paragraphed

essay is not easy to read; no

topic sentences evident; no
paragraphing of distinct
ideas

Seeing Both Sides

Writing

Discussion

involved in class discussion; answers in discussion only

volunteers ideas; asks
when called on to respond
questions of others or
connects this discussion to
local area with questions like,
but what about... or gives
examples

53

Activity 5: Eco-tourism

YOUR FAVORITE PLACE

Subject: Language Arts, Social Studies, Spanish
Grade level: 6-9
Group size: whole class
Methods: discussion in large group, pairs
Skills: decision making, critical thinking
Duration: 1/2 class period

Purpose:
To demonstrate how groups make choices about the use of natural areas. To help
students make connections between local special places and regional or international
natural areas.
Objectives:
Students will describe a natural place special to them in some way. They will discuss
and come to some tentative decisions about how local and global natural areas are
affected by conscious choices.
Materials:
pen or pencil, and paper
Background:
This writing/discussion activity is meant to be a short, quick activity for a lead-in to the
town meeting simulation on eco-development in Costa Rica. It is important that students
first consider a local area that could be affected by change before they think in terms of
how eco-tourism changes areas in Costa Rica.
Procedure:
1. Ask students to describe in writing a special natural place they know (or might have
seen on a video).
2. Share these places with the class.

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3. Discuss why many of these places are special to us. Lead toward the idea that we
choose special places for different reasons. Some choices we make as
individuals, others we make as groups. Sometimes the choices we make are good,
sometimes bad. How we use these natural places, like national parks or state
reserves, is decided by groups and these choices can help or hurt the environment,
people, and the economy. Ask the students, if you were to make a stand about how a
natural area should be used, what would you say?
4. Pose the following question: If your favorite place were to be developed--perhaps as
a hotel for tourists--what would you do? How would you feel? How would these
changes affect individuals? the environment? the economy?
Closure:
Continue with A Town Meeting Simulation. This activity asks students to look at
many points of view about using a natural area in Costa Rica.
Extensions:
1. If students do not have a special natural place, ask them to choose any special place
they know. How would they feel if someone decided to change it?
2. Include a drawing in the description of a favorite place.
3. Follow the procedure of: think > ink > pair share > group share, with their
descriptions.
4. Formalize the discussions, writing up the discussion questions for small groups to
discuss and afterwards share with the large group.

55

Activity 6: Eco-tourism

ECO-DEVELOPMENT IN COSTA RICA:

A TOWN MEETING SIMULATION
Subject: Social Studies, Language Arts, Spanish
Grade level: 6-9, adaptable for secondary school
Group size: 25-30
Methods: role-play simulation, discussion, cooperative groups
Skills: group cooperation, decision making, analyzing data, critical thinking
Duration: 2 class periods

Purpose:
To help students understand that eco-tourism in Costa Rica is a complex issue with
positive and negative viewpoints. By role-playing as different local community
members, the students should be able to identify with how Costa Ricans feel as
eco-tourism is developed in their country.
Objectives:
Students will:
1. Interpret arguments and analyze situations for and against developing eco-tourism in a
semi-fictional Costa Rican community.
2. Formulate viewpoints and express their opinions related to positive and negative
aspects of tourism development.
3. Evaluate outcomes they and other student participants discuss during the role-play
simulation.
Materials:
Interest Groups paragraphs
Butcher paper, or large paper sheets for presentations, markers
Rubric/Guidelines for Presentations
Background:
Costa Rica is a unique country with great biodiversity and friendly, generous people.
The "Ticos" have come to value their country as special because of its preserved natural
areas and beaches. Many realize that their country's beauty is appealing to
nature-oriented tourists, who provide needed economic stimulation. However,
eco-tourism development is a complicated issue. In talking to many local Costa Ricans
involved in eco-tourism businesses, it is apparent that there are many viewpoints in
regards to whether eco-tourism should be promoted and if so, what kind. Teachers
should realize that there are no "right" answers about tourism development wherever it is
promoted. By allowing

56

students to make their own decisions here, they will be learning valuable skills in critical
thinking that will help them be better world citizens in the future.
This simulation, by proposing a 100-room proposed "eco-tourism hotel," in our opinion
creates more controversy than would a smaller, presumably lower impact "eco-lodge."
The role play is based on interviews made with real Costa Ricans. Some of the names
are actual people and places, while others are fictionalized.
Before the cooperative group activity, the teacher should plan which students will work
effectively in groups of 3 or 4 (considering mixed ability levels).
The rubric, found at the end of this activity, is designed to encourage students
involvement during the presentations and to provide grading guidelines for group
presentations.
Procedure:
1. Read this background to the students: Puerto Jimnez is a small coastal city of
approximately 5,000 people. It is located in the southern Pacific region of Costa
Rica on the Osa Peninsula. A large part of the Osa Peninsula includes Corcovado
National Park and other reserves. The climate is characterized by humid rainforest.
It has a nice beach coastline of gray sand with some mangroves. Mangroves are
important bird nesting and marine life areas where the tree roots grow right into the
salt water. Some forest has been cut and burned for cattle grazing and cultivation.
Currently the forest continues to be cut. The rainforests that remain are teeming with
lush vegetation and bird and animal life. One visit to Corcovado is an unforgettable
adventure for those who want to enjoy a real experience in the rainforest and admire
one of the greatest biodiversities of our planet. Within the park, there live 500
species of trees, about 140 mammal, and almost 400 bird species. It is home to Costa
Rica's largest population of the beautiful scarlet macaw. Other important or
endangered rainforest species found here are: tapirs, five cat species, crocodiles,
peccaries, giant anteaters, sloths, and monkeys.
2. Explain to the students that they are involved in a controversy about tourism being
developed in Puerto Jimnez. The "Osa Dulce Company" wants to buy 100 hectares
of forest in their coastal community and build a 100-room "eco-tourism" hotel. (1
hectare = 2.5 acres) Within Puerto Jimnez there are many voices either supporting
or opposing the project. These people will all get a chance to express their opinions
in front of a community council. These council members will vote for or against the
project after all have spoken, including the hotel investors who present their project
as "environmentally friendly." The mayor of the town is a non-voting member whose
job is to maintain the order of the meeting, calling on the speakers, and timing the
presentations.

57

Groups:
1 mayor (could be teacher)
5 or 7 council members (should be odd number for voting)
3-4 hotel investors
3 campesino-cattle farmers
3 indigenous native people from the Osa Reserve
3 tourist-based small business owners
3 non-governmental community development project directors
3 women artisans
3 grassroots environmentalists

3. Assign students to groups. Have groups choose their role out of a hat. Also, students
choose to be either their group's speaker, facilitator, or timer.
4. Give each group the description of their background and considerations.
5. Give twenty minutes for each group to formulate a position. To aid this process
groups should fill a T-chart with positive and negative aspects of the proposal. They
should provide four reasons to support their position. Meanwhile, the investor group
prepares its proposal and the council members and mayor review the voting
procedures and background information.
6. (Next class period) Starting with the hotel investors' proposal, each group's speaker
gets five minutes to express his/her position.
7. After all the groups speak, the council members review their notes and vote
individually (out loud) explaining their position.
8. A short teacher-led large group discussion follows the role-play.
Closure:
After the discussion, assign each student to write a paragraph. Community group
members explain what they felt was the strongest argument made by their group.
Council members justify their vote. The mayor writes his/her opinion. Hotel developers
write how they might compromise and which group influenced them the most and why.
Extensions:
For the Spanish class, the teacher may want to translate some of the vocabulary and
community positions into Spanish. For example: mayor - alcalde, eco-tourism ecoturismo, indigenous - indgena.

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Interest Groups
(NOTE: The (a) after each name makes the name feminine, if the name ends in -o, it is dropped before the -a is
added. Some girls might have to play male parts.)

MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, TOWN OF PUERTO JIMENEZ

NAMES: Juan(a) Bravo, Luis(a) Castillo, Manuel(a) Hernndez, Patricio(a) Rojas,
Francisco(a) Alarcn, Juan(a) Higuera, Paco(a) Chvez, Luis(a) Vargas
BACKGROUND INFO: The mayor is a non-voting member of the community council and
will maintain order throughout the meeting, timing each speaker (limit 5 minutes), and
introducing each one in turn. The community council members are to listen and take notes
during all the presentations. You may ask polite questions of the speakers, but interrupting
is not allowed. After the speakers are heard, you will tell how you vote out loud, giving
reasons for voting as you did.
CONSIDERATIONS: You want to consider the reasons given during each speaker's
presentation. Your concern is for the betterment of the town, providing employment
opportunities for its members. You also value reserving more forest land since you are
concerned about deforestation in Costa Rica. You do not want short term solutions, but
sustainable development in Puerto Jimnez. This means meeting the needs and wants of this
generation without risking those of the future.

HOTEL INVESTORS, "OSA DULCE COMPANY"

HOTEL NAME: "Lapa Roja"
NAMES: Antonio(a) Lpez, Jorge Faustino, Jos Molina, John (Joan) Johnson
BACKGROUND INFO: You are a group of Costa Rican and American business people
who have formed a company called "Osa Dulce." You have tourist facilities located in other
areas of Costa Rica, and realize that the Osa Peninsula area is underdeveloped for tourism.
Since the large Corcovado National Park and several other reserve areas exist in the area,
you decide to upscale the tourism appeal and propose a 100-room hotel near Puerto Jimnez.
A nice pool, golf course, and tennis courts are in the plans. The beach area will have to be
cleared of some mangroves. You realize the locals may have opposing views on upgrading
tourism in the area, so you try to present your hotel as "eco-friendly". This means your
group wants to focus on low impact (not much change) to the environment and promoting
tourists that are nature-oriented.
CONSIDERATIONS: Your group also wants to concentrate on the benefits of tourism to
the local community: employment; encouraging agriculture, industry, and business; and
providing taxes and income for the government.

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CAMPESINOS (SMALL CATTLE FARMERS)

NAMES: Jos Mora, Ronald Quesada, Francisco Vargas
BACKGROUND INFO: You are a group of local farmers. Your farms consist of cattle
pastures (beef), rice, and sugar cane. Some of you grow tuber crops like yucca. You need to
clear more cattle pasture and room for cultivation.
CONSIDERATIONS: Tourism might prohibit the use of resources from the forest (like
cutting trees, hunting, and planting fields). You may fear losing the use of your cultivated
lands near the forest and the opportunity to hunt there (although hunting is actually illegal).
You could possibly sell your beef to the hotel for its restaurant. You also realize that your
children could possibly be employed as hotel staff in the future.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE FROM THE OSA RESERVE

NAMES: Benson Vanegas, Gabriel(a) Roblezo, Laura Rivera
BACKGROUND INFO: You are from a group of indigenous people from the Osa Reserve
near Corcovado National Park and the area that the Osa Dulce Company wants to buy. You
have hunting rights in your reserve. Some of you are small-time gold miners, illegally
panning for gold in Corcovado. Many of your people have knowledge about the use of
tropical forest plants for food and medicinal purposes. You value the forest for the wealth of
resources it provides.
CONSIDERATIONS: You want to protect the forest upon which you depend in order to
survive; however, the gold miners in your reserve may be opposed to bringing in more
tourists because there will be greater restrictions and surveillance in the National Park. You
also value maintaining your rich cultural traditions and may feel threatened or fear exposure
to foreign values and ways of living.

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TOURIST-BASED SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

NAMES: Roberto Vsquez, Alberto Herrera, Jos Varela
BACKGROUND INFO: Your group consists of two small boat owners, one that promotes
snorkeling and one that provides coastal tours and fishing to tourists, and a "pulpera" (small
general store) owner from Puerto Jimnez. You have had some good and some bad
experiences with tourists. Some tourists have been rude to Roberto, refusing to respond
when he politely offered them his snorkeling services. Alberto, the small tour boat owner,
does not appreciate the young backpacking tourists who come to Costa Rica only to have
"fun" and use drugs. They do not spend money in the community and are often disrespectful
of the locals. He was directly insulted by one such tourist. Jos, the pulpera owner, realizes
that more tourists will increase the profits of his small general store.
CONSIDERATIONS: More tourists would improve your businesses, but also change your
way of life. You may encourage a more educational type of eco-tourism to avoid drastic
changes.

WOMEN ARTISANS
NAMES: Gladys Rodrguez, Tatiana Castillo, Carla Snchez
BACKGROUND INFO: You are members of a small group of women who meet during the
afternoons to carve and paint wood and embroider cloth in forms of rainforest animals to sell
to tourists. Currently it is hard to find the time away from your household chores to meet,
share materials, and work on your projects. However, you and your husbands realize that
more tourists in the area would increase the number of people who would buy your
creations.
CONSIDERATIONS: Like the other local people in Puerto Jimnez, you would favor more
tourists in order to sell more of your handicrafts, but you also fear the changes that would
occur with exposure to foreign values. You value your family and simple way of life. But,
you also realize that more tourists create more opportunities for yourselves and your
children.

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NON-GOVERNMENTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

DIRECTORS--"BOSCOSA" PROJECT
NAMES: Rogelio Vargas, Walter Benavides, Patricia Alba
BACKGROUND INFO: You are directors of "BOSCOSA," a project supported by
Fundacin Neotrpica, funded partly by the Nature Conservancy. The BOSCOSA project
works with local people promoting sustainable agro-forestry projects and eco-tourism that
benefit local people. You do this because the local people have had a hard time making a
basic income. You also run a program to train local Costa Ricans to serve as guides for
tourists hiking in the rainforest reserves. Another program you promote is a Youth
Environmental Camp.
CONSIDERATIONS: You want to promote projects that provide more opportunity for local
people's employment, like eco-tourism, but you also realize that much of the profit made by
hotel companies goes to foreigners, and not to the local people. You might want to suggest
changes to the hotel proposal.

GRASSROOTS ENVIRONMENTALISTS
NAMES: Marielos Alarcn, Pedro Porras, Ramn(a) Cedeo
BACKGROUND INFO: You are a part of a new ecological committee trying to protect the
forests that remain in the area. Last year Strong Products, an American Forest Products
Company that rents area lands, proposed putting in a chipper mill and shipping docks in the
area. The company plants melina, a tree that matures in three years and is ready to process
for paper pulp. Your group successfully stopped putting the mill and docks near Puerto
Jimnez.
CONSIDERATIONS: You feel tourism could be a source of jobs for the community. You
also think some consequences of tourism might harm the environment by changing natural
surroundings, causing sewage problems, producing more garbage, etc. You feel the hotel
company should promote educational and natural tourism, not just beach use and golf. Often
tourists educated about the tropical forest give donations to environmental projects. Also,
you feel large-scale hotel projects would destroy the mangrove coastline in the area.

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Rubric/Guidelines for Presentations

1. Students kept to their assigned role and
contributed to the development of the group's
argument.

_____ / 25 pts. total

2. The group recorded logical arguments

on the T-chart and presented a clear
position. (or took notes as a council
member and supported his/her vote
with logical opinions)

_____ / 25 pts. total

3. The individual student listened quietly

to other presentations, not interrupting the
speakers or class activity.

_____ / 25 pts. total

4. The student's paragraph is well-written

and thoughtful, considering the requirements
explained.

_____ / 25 pts. total

Total points/grade _____

Teacher comments:

63