Exploring ecotourism and sustainability in Costa Rica

Abstract

Costa Rica has become well-known for ecotourism, a type of tourism geared toward sustainability by reducing its impact on and giving back to the host community. The concept has gained popularity among international tourism markets, and many companies and businesses in Costa Rica have used the term ecotourism to refer to their practices, while their actions may not reflect the sustainability that ecotourism requires. In this thesis, I explore examples of tourism and ecotourism in Costa Rica, analyzing them based on their environmental, economic, and social impacts, to determine whether the current practice of ecotourism in the country is sustainable.