Ecotourism is defined according to Higgins (2006) as travel that preserves the environment and promotes the welfare of local people. Costa Rica is often viewed as the epicenter of ecotourism; in brief it has become the leading destination for ecotourism in Latin America (Horton, 2009). Although ecotourism has been an integral part of the Costa Rican economy over the past decades, there is a significant need to look into the neoliberal policies that drive the sector as there is research that illustrates the detriment it can cause a local community. Furthermore, Costa Rica’s ecotourism boom occurred as a result of the government’s rapid expansion of protected areas in the 1970s and 1980s to cast one fourth of the national territory (Horton, 2009). In terms of environmental efficiency, a report by the CIA (2014) highlights that Costa Rica is effectively managing its overall Carbon emission from consumption of energy at a modest 6.806 million Mt, which is measured in metric tons. Ranking Costa Rica 116th in terms of consumption, whereas Ecuador a country with similar characteristics, ranks 76th out of all countries in the world. There is also strong signals that highlight the economic role that ecotourism has formed, by the late 1990s, employing 12 percent of Costa Rica’s labor force (Horton, 2006). The forces at play, construct the system that originally initiated the ecotourism boom and has led it to this point. Thus, the implications of ecotourism in Costa Rica have widely varied from preserving forest, reducing the carbon emission from consumption of energy and incorporating ecotourism as an effective sector of the economy. However I will point out there needs to be a more broad emphasis on the counter narratives that ecotourism ...
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...tors at play in different zones. In spite of this it can agreed that the dynamics in ecotourism are more complex than simply creating an industry of both profit and conservancy. For instance the Osa peninsula, presses on the power structure as a result of the construct, drawing parallels between communities and the policies that directly affect them. As this paper demonstrates, there is a need to a more holistic analysis on the effects of ecotourism in countries, such as Costa Rica, thereby not limiting the narrative of ecotourism across the globe to submissive communities and aggressive businesses. Creating a sustainable difference between ecotourism and community-based ecotourism will probe to create effective change in various destinations. Further, ideally the notion of community-based ecotourism might pose an example for significant change within Costa Rica.
This aspect is “The Double-edged Sword of Ecotourism.” In this chapter, Stanford expresses the positives and negatives of ecotourism. Ecotourism is a form of tourism which involves visiting fragile and undisturbed natural areas and in this case, the main reason is to see gorillas. Ecotourism has its good and bad. It is good because those poor communities that live close to the habitats of the apes can have a source of revenue. Those areas are really poor, and with ecotourism, they can earn about $9000 dollars a month. However, those areas may not exactly be the safest. Stanford cites a 1999 cross border attack by rebel groups in Rwanda in which 8 ecotourists were murdered and this attack deterred tourist from going there for many months. Another negative aspect of ecotourism is how it affects the apes. Although, many apes who do live in these areas of habituation and have tourists coming in and out, the apes develop really high stress levels. When humans move too quickly or make loud noises, the apes are stressed out and can flee. Not only that, but increased stress levels lowers their immune systems making them more susceptible to disease. Stanford ends this chapter saying that ecotourism is bound to happen if the countries are too poor to provide for their people and that “the apes will have to live with the results” (190). In
Human habitation can be traced back more than 10,000 years but it appears Costa Rica was sparsely populated and a relative backwater in the pre-Columbian era. There is little sign of major communities and none of the impressive stone architecture that characterized the more advanced civilizations of Mesoamerica to the north and the Andes to the south. When Columbus arrived near Lim¢¢n on September 18, 1502 on his third and last voyage to the Americas, there were probably no more than 20,000 indigenous inhabitants They lived in several autonomous tribes, all with distinct cultures and customs. Costa Rica's only major archaeological site is at Guayabo, 30 miles east of San Jos‚‚, where an ancient city, dating back to 1000 B.C. and though to have contained 10,000 people at its peak, is currently being excavated. Many interesting gold, jade and pottery artefacts have been found throughout the region and are on display in several museums in San Jose.
I learned more than I ever imagined on my summer study abroad trip to Costa Rica. I learned that Costa Rica is a country like no other. The country is much different than what the United States of America is like. The lifestyles, customs, and practices of Costa Rica are very different than those that I am accustomed to. As an outsider looking into the country, I saw a country that is very poor financially but very rich in spirit. They do not appreciate wealth as United States citizens do, but instead appreciate love and gratitude. I noticed that Costa Ricans have very strong family values and cultural roots.
Costa Rica, meaning “rich coast” in Spanish, was given its name for the wealth of gold found when it was first discovered in 1502 (Costa Rica, 1892). What the Spaniards may not have realized, is that indigenous communities even richer in culture had been occupying the land for thousands of years. To this day, Costa Rica is the home of eight separate indigenous groups, whose people make up 1,7 % of the country's population (Sévenier, 2003). The Bribri, the second largest tribe and the focus of this paper, have a reserve population of about 11,500. However, due to often isolated villages which make calculations difficult, some estimate their true numbers are closer to 35,000 (Bribri, n.d.). This paper will begin by exploring the traditional beliefs, food systems and way of life of the Bribri people. Next, it will focus on the ancestral lands of the Bribri and how they have been impacted by land appropriation, exploitation and deforestation. Following, we will examine ways to address these issues. Perhaps, in considering projects from the past, we can find promising solutions for the future.
In summary, the small country of Costa Rica has always been a highly sought after vacation spot. However, the influx of drugs and the deforestation have caused tourists, including myself, to question the desirability. Nonetheless, according to Forbes, Costa Rica is “The Happiest Place on Earth. Its national conservation policies, small ecological footprint, high quality of life and life expectancy rate are all exceedingly above par.”(Greenstein) I feel that Costa Rica would be an intriguing place to visit because of its vibrant landscapes and the abundance of incredible Catholic Churches.
Neth, B., 2008. Ecotourism as a Tool for Sustainable Rural Community Development and Natural Resources Management in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Researve. Kassel: Kassel University Press GmbH,
Pattullo report gives a first-hand account as to who controls each segment of the tourism industry; the tour operations, the large hotel chains, and the airline companies. The Caribbean’s economy depends on an industry that is mostly foreign-owned and controlled and the people who live there do not have an opportunity of owning or investing in it. In Pattullo’s report, it reveals that the large travel industry corporations are the ones who have most of the control. But those corporations are not located there. Her report exposes that the true benefiters of tourism in the Caribbean are foreign-owned investors and corporations.
Costa Rica is a place where over 500,000 species call home. Within this large number you can find 4% of the total species across the world. Costa Rica is considered to be a part of the top 20 countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world. I have found they are in the top 20 because of their position geographically. Costa Rica has two coasts as well as Mountains. This tropical zone that Costa Rica located in is called Neotropics, and it provides numerous climates, which are responsible for the natural wealth of species and ecosystems in the area. Within all the diversity there is concern for species that are testing the limits and are endangered, on their way to extinction.
Family plays an important role in Costa Rica's culture. Family in Costa Rica may look like family life in the United States, but it is very different. In Costa Rica, people keep family very close. Many households have several generations of family living in the same house. Children can live in the same house until they get married. Living all in the same house is really cramped with barely any private space. What makes living in a Costa Rican house even more impressive is that the house is half the size a small house in the United States. Well it might be challenging, but it brings the family closer together. It is common to see a 14 year old with a younger kid in Costa Rica. People in Costa Rica do not get embarrassed easily. School-age kids
Have you ever considered taking a trip outside of the United States? If yes, let me take you to a country called Costa Rica. Now the reason I say Costa Rica is because it was a county I had no prior knowledge about, I did not even know where it was located until I did my research. After looking into this country a little deeper I wanted to know more about it like; the general overview, a brief history, the geography, the political system, the economic system, and lastly the cultures and subcultures of Costa Rica.
Studying abroad in Costa Rica would give me the opportunity to speak, write, think and dream in Spanish. I am pursuing a Spanish minor and believe that immersion is the best way to become fluent. While Spanish can be learned in many countries throughout the world, Costa Rica offers an environment with a dialect that is fairly easy to understand, which would offer me comfort when it comes to speaking and understanding the language. I am planning on minoring in Spanish not only because I enjoy the language, but because it will differentiate me from other students. I have a rather large Spanish vocabulary and know the grammatical rules, but I need to be in an environment that I will require me to hear and speak it on a regular basis.
Eco-tourism: tourism is based on the appreciation of responsible and ecologically sustainable. Ecotourism is a visit to the environmentally responsible nature (Ceballos and Lascurain, 1996).
Nowadays in the rea of globalization, according to the World Tourism Organization, “seven hundred million people travelled abroad in 2003”, and the number is estimated to increase to 1.6 billion by 2020. (International Labour Organization, 2005). Tourism is spreading in unusual places. A lot of people want to be in the midst of adventure. It is a vital source of revenues for the GDP of many countries. I partially agree that tourism hugely benefits the local community. This essay will discuss some of the economic, social and environment effect of tourism on the host community.
Fletcher’s article helps to provide more of an insight on why these Caribbean countries rely on the tourism industry, giving a greater perspective of the workings of capitalism as in order to survive it must continually grow. While it is important to note that looking at one small area in the Caribbean and its impact on the tourism industry, cannot lead me to draw any general conclusions– as not every Caribbean country will react to the tourism industry in the same way - the study discussed on Jamaica’s Ocho Rios still can provide perspective as to how this heavy reliance on the tourism industry can affect the social, cultural, environmental, and economic standing within such countries. Further research must be conducted on all different effects and within tourist sites in order to come to a general conclusion. Many researchers have offered frameworks on how to prevent such negative impacts from occurring, and this can be helpful for the future of this fast-growing industry. As a person who has travelled to the Caribbean quite frequently (as I have family members who reside in Barbados), because I stay with family members and thus can see the island from a local perspective, I have witnessed first hand the small ways in which the tourism industry affects a big Caribbean tourist destination such as Barbados; not just with those deemed as outsiders with the tourism industry, but those working within it.
Ecotourism is defined as “responsible travel to natural area that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education” by The International Ecotourism Society. Multitudes of areas around the world participate in ecotourism due to either their rare or unusual natural ecosystems. These ecotourism reserves are meant to conserve fragile environmental areas and teach the tourists about and how to protect the specific environments. But very few of these eco lodges or reserves are living up to the standards of conserving and educating. One example of a failure of the defined meaning of ecotourism is the Rio Quijos Eco-lodge in the Oriente region of Ecuador. The Rio Quijos Eco-lodge does not protect biodiversity of the resident environment as well as it needs to be protected to have an actual positive effect on the area.