Costa Rica Ecotourism

The official slogan of Costa Rica’s tourist industry—“Costa Rica: No Artificial Ingredients”—reveals just how intentional the country has been about continuing its reputation as a natural and eco-friendly tourist environment. Ecotourism has made the Costa Rica famous worldwide. It remains a huge draw for foreign tourists, promoting sustainable, responsible travel to natural sites, as well as encouraging low-impact cultural and environmental exploration that will generate income for farther conservation. In fact, Costa Rica has even been awarded and honored by the Sustainable Tourism Certification program for its sustainable approach to tourism.

One of the most unique elements of Costa Rica’s ecotourism industry is its opportunity for turtle-watching. Visitors come from all over the world to watch turtles come ashore to lay their eggs at night on various Pacific and Caribbean beaches. Some of the most important nesting sites for turtles in the western hemisphere are located in Tortuguero and Parismina, a smaller, less-touristed town 50km south, home to a turtle conservation organization which draws hundreds of volunteers each year to protect the eggs from poachers. In addition to the turtles, Costa Rica boasts 6% of the world’s biodiversity even though it covers only 0.03% of the world’s surface.

Though proponents of the industry maintain that it benefits the environment and travelers alike, Costa Rican ecotourism remains a delicate endeavor. While there has been a push to move tourism toward luxury ecotourism in order to attract wealthier travelers seeking comfortable wilderness adventures, conservation groups are concerned that larger facilities will put an unreasonably heavy burden on the nation’s ecosystems.