Tourism

Ecotourism, Nature Based Tourism and

Wildlife tourism: with a focus on Costa Rica
Ecotourism is defined as
• "responsible travel to natural areas
that conserves the environment and
improves the well-being of local
people"
• The International Ecotourism Society
(TIES) 1990.
 Ecotourism
• Emerges as alternative to the impacts
of mass tourism;
• As an authentic based tourism focused
on 'natural' areas;
• Jafar Jafari's "Tourism Platforms";
• That an optimistic uncritical period of
tourism development - the Advocacy
Platform - was replaced by more
critical views on the effects of tourism;
• This was followed by an Adaptancy
Platform - focused on Alternative
tourism
 Ecotourism, Nature based tourism

• Ecotourism is different from nature

based tourism it is argued;
• While "nature-based tourism" is simply
describes travel to natural places;
• Ecotourism is supposed to differ due to
it's focus on benefits for local
communities;
• And on conservation and education;
 Ecotourism principles
• Minimize impact.
• Build environmental and cultural
awareness and respect.
• Provide positive experiences for both
visitors and hosts.
• Provide direct financial benefits for
conservation.
• Provide financial benefits and
empowerment for local people.
• Raise sensitivity to host countries' political,
environmental, and social climate.
 Martha Honey - aspects of ecotourism

• Contributes to biodiversity conservation

• Sustains the well-being of local people.
• Includes a learning experience.
• Involves responsible action by tourists and
the tourism industry.
• Small-scale groups delivered by small
business.
• Low consumption of non-renewable
resources.
• Local participation, ownership and business
opportunities for rural people.
Ecotourism spectrum - harder and softer
 Wildlife tourism
• This has similarities with ecotourism and
nature-based tourism;
• But can be tourism just focused on wildlife
and perhaps conservation
• But is not necessarily focused on local
community benefits or evene ducation;
• E.g cruise ship passengers visiting Komodo
NP to see ‘dragons’;
• World Travel Market Talks, London 2014:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_DcSmI
FdYg
Costa Rica
• A few videos on tourism to get us started
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNQw0
7Lt12E
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMydsp
L8mes
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxmzzl
9ORds
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4wZHs
hQ2kI
 Costa Rica tourism
• 2012 - 2.343 million international tourist
visitors;
• Market?
• 1.139m from N. America;
• 721,000 from Central America;
• 136,458 from S.America;
• 285,000 from Europe
• Economy has been deregulated, opened
to foreign investment;
 Tourism in Costa Rica
• Influenced by scientists from the elite class;
• Whom had access to government;
• To make protected areas across the country
- 28% is now protected;
• Tourism developed next to many of the
National Parks through small private
investors;
• Mainly foreign owned and small-scale at
first;
 Certificate in Sustainable Tourism

• Developed by the Instituto Costarricense de

Turismo (ICT),
• Voluntary and free to join with small fee for
annual evaluations ;
• The program seeks to certify the level of
sustainability of the lodging establishment
through its assessment tool,
• Which measures the business’ performance
in four major areas of development.
CST - 4 main areas
• Physical-biological parameters:
• evaluates the interaction between the
company and its surrounding natural
habitat.
• 2. Infrastructure and services:
• evaluates the management policies and
the operational systems within the
company and its infrastructure.
• 3. External clients:
• evaluates the interaction of the company with
its clients
• Encourages local procurement and local
economic linkages
• 4. Socio-economic environment:
• evaluates the interaction of the company with
the local communities and the population in
general.
• Aims for 60% or more of staff be Costa Ricans,
for administration also to be local;
• For training of staff and education;
• Lapa Rios - 5 leaves :
http://www.laparios.com/
Access and visitors
• Many of the major
ecotourist attractions are
hard to access;
• This acts to filter visitors;
• Monteverde has been
assessing whether to install
a paved road linked to the
interamerican highway;
• This would link it to main
airports and the cruise port.
• But will it change
ecotourism to a mass
tourism product?
 Ecotourism effects
• Much ecotourism is foreign owned but quite small;
• Some ecotourism lodges have bought up forest as
‘reserves’ effecting access for locals;
• Local people find it hard to access credit to start
businesses;
• Some can work in lodges, or as guides, but others
frozen out of benefits;
• But government seems to be encouraging larger
hotels/resorts to move in;
• Problems of sewage disposal emerged in 2008 when it
emerged a big resort’s sewage system had failed;
• http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2008/0
417/p13s02-sten.html
 Costa Rica film
• We watch “The Goose with Golden Eggs:
Tourism on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast”
Centre for Responsible Tourism (CREST)
Films (2013);
• Examines the differing impacts of different
models of coastal tourism in Costa Rica;
• What are the main arguments of the film?
• What alternative scenarios are put forward to
large scale mass tourism?