Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tourism
The other great environmental issue facing Costa Rica comes from the country being loved
to death, directly through the passage of more than two million foreign tourists a year, and
less directly through the development of extensive infrastructure to support this influx. For
years resort hotels and lodges continued to pop up, most notably on formerly pristine
beaches or in the middle of intact rainforest. Too many of these projects were poorly
planned, and they necessitate additional support systems, including roads and countless
vehicle trips, with much of this activity unregulated and largely unmonitored.
As tourism continues to become a larger piece of the Costa Rican economy, the bonanza
invites more and more development. Taking advantage of Costa Rica's reputation as a
green destination, developers promote mass tourism by building large hotels and package
tours that, in turn, drive away wildlife, hasten erosion and strain local sewer and water sys-
tems. The irony is painful: they threaten to ruin the very environment that they're selling.
It's worth noting that many private lodges and reserves are also doing some of the best
conservation work in the country, and it's heartening to run across the ever-increasing
homespun efforts to protect Costa Rica's environment, spearheaded by hardworking famil-
ies or small organizations tucked away in some quiet corner of the country. These include
projects to boost rural economies by raising native medicinal plants, efforts by villagers to
document their local biodiversity, and resourceful fundraising campaigns to purchase en-
dangered lands.
