An Analysis of Sustainable and Responsible Tourism in Costa Rica

This report examines sustainable and responsible tourism practices, using Costa Rica as a case study. It explores the evolution of sustainable and responsible tourism, highlighting the roles of global organizations like UNWTO and the specific contributions of Costa Rica. The report delves into...Read More

SUSTAINABLE AND
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
Features of the sustainable and the responsible tourism : ..........................................................3
role of global organisation and their functions, missions............................................................4
LO2..................................................................................................................................................5
Purpose and principle of tourism development and planning......................................................5
Purpose and the principles of the tourism planning and development ...........................................6
Approaches of planning and development...................................................................................8
LO3..................................................................................................................................................9
impact of tourism activities from the economic and cultural the social and on environmental
perspective ..................................................................................................................................9
Contribution of stakes holders in development of the sustainable tourism: .............................11
LO4................................................................................................................................................11
Sustainability of Costa Rica is managed and developed by many ways: .................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Sustainable tourism is about to sustain the growth of the travel and tourism sector. This
report is based on the case study of costa Rica in respect to its sustainable and responsible
tourism practices. Costa Rica is gem of the south America, Costa Rica is famous for their natural
view and for their spices the main animal is sea turtle also costa Rica produce 94% of electricity
from there natural resources.(Boluk, and et.al., 2019) This report of tourism will shows the main
characteristics of sustainable tourism and responsible tourism which shows that how sustainable
tourism and responsible tourism has evolved in the region. This study will also highlight how
different organisations play role in improving the sustainability and responsibility in tourism
sector of location. Furthermore, this report will emphasis over the importance of devolving
tourism that involve their purpose of developing tourism and the effects of tourism add on to this
report will show the process and the planing of tourism development. Different stakeholder
gropups will also mention that contribute in sustainable and responsible tourism practices.
LO1
Features of the sustainable and the responsible tourism :
Evolution of sustainable and responsible tourism has started in the year 1980. Earlier the
people, stakeholders including government as well was not effectly working towards the concept
of sustainable and responsible tourism. Evolution of the concet since 1980 could address the
changes that can be stated in the following way.
Sustainable tourism : The world tourism organisation launched the sustainable tourism
in 2002 sustainable tourism is the formation of the tourism which meet the needs and the wants
of tourist and tourism industry. They make communities which help tourist and localists today
for their future, to not make any future compromisation to meet their future wants. According to
(WTO) world tourism organisation, they says that sustainable organisation should make proper
use of the environmental resources which establish a main element in the development of the
tourism. WTO says that sustainable organisation should maintain vital ecological process also
they should help to preserve the natural heritage. Global sustainable tourism affect by making the
positive impact on preserving the cultural and the natural heritage for maintain the world
diversity. Costa Rica's 95 % energy is renewable, Costa Rica is the global leader from the last
2014 more than 53 % is now coved and reserved and now it is protected for the parks. (Castro-
Spila, and et.al., 2018)Costa Rica is preserved nearly around 30% for the national parks and for

the private reserves and the wildlife refuges. Costa Rica is helping the environment by protecting
them and by not cutting them. The Costa Rica's trees pull out the main greenhouse gas and the
carbon dioxide out of the air of from there and they bolt the carbon in the wood and the soil
under below them.
Responsible tourism : Evolution of the responsible tourism came in the 2002 in the cape
town and which is now world wide accepted. Responsible tourism is same like the sustainable
tourism but it just focus more on the localist. They says that they should make a better place for
the localities to live and for people who visit the place. They believe and they says that they
should give rise to the big economic benefit for their local people. They should always include
the local people in the decision making for their good and healthy sustainable. They also says
that organizations should always preserve the natural and the cultural heritage for maintain world
diversity. They also focus on the tourist , they says that tourist should get the more enjoyable
experiences by involving them with locals and the their local cultures. Costa Rica has
remarkably contributed to the conservation and to the natural resources. From them the creation
of the wildlife reserved and also created national parks.(Costa, G., 2020)Tourism has remarkably
contributed to the Costa Rica economy. According to the report in 2016, the tourism directly
contributed to 5.0% GDP. The tourism is the very important factor for the any country and for
the growth of there economy.
role of global organisation and their functions, missions.
Role of different organisations in Costa Rica in order to boost up sustainable and
responsible tourism can be stated in the following way.
UNWTO:
The united world tourism organisation (UNWTO) is the global organisation which is
leading in promoting the responsible tourism and the sustainable tourism. The united world
tourism organisation is the most universal approachable tourism which focus on the economic
growth and the inclusive development such as social and political and the economic process. The
united world tourism organisation UNWTO is based on their 5 pillars :
 The first pillar is making the tourism more smarter through making new innovations and
leading the tourism more in digital sectors.
 The second pillar is making the tourism more competitive and affective through
promoting more investments and also promoting the entrepreneurship.

 The third pillar is to create and make more job opportunities and also give training for the
same.
 The fourth pillar is to building more flexible and also promoting the safe and the smooth
travelling.
 The fifth and the last pillar is exploit the tourism by protect the cultural and natural
heritage for supporting the both social and the economical community.
Other organisations
This involve organisations like World Travel and Tourism Council, Ontario, Tourism of
Costa Rica and other such organisations has been involved in the overall growth and
development of sustainable and responsible tourism with the strategic collaboration with
government, local communities, stakeholders and local people. These organisations has been
engaged promoting economic development, environmental development and many such
elements that can cause to sustainable and responsible tourism in region. Sustainable tourism is a
goal which can only be archived through their localities by taking an responsibility to archive it.
Whereas responsible tourism is to take responsibility for the making the tourism more
sustainable.
LO2
Purpose and principle of tourism development and planning
`According to the UNWTO the united world tourism organisation there are three
dimensions of sustainable tourism which are 1: environmental 2: social 3: economical
1. environmental dimensions : It says that sustainability is for the environment which means
protecting of the environment. In the environment firstly comes the Natural Environment: the
natural landscapes shows the main core of the tourism such as mountains and the natural forest,
rivers and the lakes which attract the tourist and the tourism. (Dredge, and et.al., 2017)But in the
world almost every landscape is affected by the actions of the humans and man made things,
there are only few landscape which are left.
Second and the most important comes Wildlife: Mostly tourist and the tourism attract by
the Wildlife, wildlife have number of species such as land based mammals and reptiles and the
birds and insect, fishes in the river and the flora.(Dredge, and et.al., 2017)But tourism can be
harmful for the wildlife,tourist can feed bad habit into the species and animals of feeding habits.
They can interrupt the breeding partners, also some tourist would try to pick the rare plants.

Third comes The build environment: tourism also get attract by the buildings and guests
homes and the infrastructure the process of tourism structure and the villages and also by the
transport infrastructure and the dams. But while making and creating all this infrastructure
natural environment get so much pollution and damage.
2. Economic Dimensions: In many debate for sustainable tourism economic dimensions
have giving little attentions comparing to the environmental dimensions. Tourism is
count on the economic factor because it increase the growth of foreign currency.
The benefit of the economic dimensions is that it increases job creation but many people face
low paid services. Lastly income source increase for the local people but then they need to more
in their new opportunities.
3. Social Dimensions: The social dimensions has always paid less attention comparing to
the environment in the sustainable tourism because tourism of socio culture impact
usually occur leisurely over time. There are many factors which affects tourism are :
there are many tourist feel that to live in the resorts and by resort and amazing
infrastructure tourist attract but infrastructure somehow affect the natural life.
According to UNWTO there are many dimensions some are as follow : responsible
tourism generates better economic benefits for their localities and give better living of the life.
But for the better economic benefit they states that they'll have to create a better infrastructure
and better infrastructure give destruction to the wildlife and the nature.(Liburd, and et.al.,
2020)lastly they stated that the organisation should always include the localities into the decision
making but involving everyone and then think on implementation, is a time consuming and
complicated process.
Purpose and the principles of the tourism planning and development
Growth and the maintenance of the tourism industries is their given localities is known
tourism development. Tourism planing is important part of the tourism development. Tourism
development means making strategies and better plans for to increase and develop and also
encourage tourism for their destinations.(Musavengane and et.al., 2020)The main idea and
reason behind all the strategies and planning for increasing the tourism sector is to make money
and also to increase the GDP.

Tourism planning is hard task which also needs mind planning there are many factors which
depends on it. For example many developing destinations can learn from areas which are already
developed, very basic step they can take in the tourism development planning is analysing the
previous tourist development.
Adverse effect minimises through tourism development and planning
Following are the points denoted the adverse effects that are tried to control by planning
and development activities.
1 Destruction of the historical monuments : There are some tourist who unknowingly destruct
or destroy the historical monument by accident but there are many tourist who do it by
knowingly and intentionally, by the development of the tourism many organisation had came
forward under this and made a law, that any person who found out destroying the historical
monuments will be punished , there are many organisation who suggested that in the historical
place there should be team who work and look after the tourist that they don't go near the
historical walls or place and destroy it. By this it help them to preserve the natural and historical
heritage.
2 increased pollution: As the too many people form at one place the more waste will form at that
one place. To attract more costumers and the tourist towards the hotels many hotel managers
light up more night light and lights on the building and led lights by this light pollution increased
but to decreased this pollutions organisations says that to focus more on the renewable resources.
If we take an example of Costa Rica, Costa Rica produced more than 95% of there light from
there renewable resources. Almost 30% of green forest area is preserved for the renewable
resources.
3 increased price on goods and services: Tourist area is tends to more expensive than others ,
which is very good for the big business owners but at the same time it is really very harsh for the
local business and the other localities. for this organisation have set a limit that no one can sell
there products from that price.
Tourism planning and development and challenges.
Tourism planing is a process of taking into account the needs and wants of the people
who are planning to trip. Tourism planing is important for the localities and their local business
as it is important for the tourist who go and travel there. There are five major steps in planning
process. The first process of tourism planning is Background analysation taking an review of

what were the things which have not done, having an overview of what new can someone do and
what they should do to improve this year in planning of tourism . Taking an example of Costa
Rica. Costa Rica is leading in this point because, every year the organisation take the reviews
from the team, what changes should they do which were failed last year.
secondly in the tourism planning come research. Researching that what is the need and
wants of the market and what is the demand of the market. also if someone focus on the success
and failures of the competitors and then not repeating that mistake then they can lead in planing
from the others.
The third in the tourism planning comes is analysing our competitors, by analysing the
competitors and what mistake they have done. they have done which lead them to success or
failure and then learning from there mistakes and then not repeating is the big key factor from
which anyone could archive the success.
The fourth major step of the planning tourism is writing down the missions or goals.
Any firm or any organisation have some goals which they have to archive. writing up the goals
and objective and then working on them is key factor for anyone who wants to archive
something.
Lastly the fifth step of planning process comes determining the main target audience.
determining that what ideal audience need from the organisation, by giving that in the best
quality is the way to lead in this. Because they are the one by whom the organisations marketing
will hit other cities and the homes.
Approaches of planning and development
Approaches that could contribute in the sustaianable and responsbile tourim in Costa Rica
Region can state in the following way.
1. Product approach : The thoughts and the idea of different tourism product which
involve marketing, production and the consumption is known as product approach. The
organisation of Costa Rica is developing there marketing and production strategies by
increasing there advertisements.
2. Institutional approach : institutional approach is the main approach which always stay
in the consideration. This approach examine the organisation at every level such as tour
operator, hotel and hotel services and so on.

3. Managerial approach : managerial approach mainly focus on the firms and the all the
other management activities such as planning, controlling and researching etc.
4. Geographical approach : the approach is much more big, but it is underrated. Tourism
and tourist is depend on the geography at every point of tourism for exam environment,
location and the climate etc.
5. sociological approach: This approach mainly focus on the behaviour and culture of the
both localities and their guest. With the increase in the tourism industry this approach is
also progressing.
6. Economic approach: promotion of tourism is very important factor and for promoting,
some cost comes out which is known as economic approach. This approach needs lots of
capital requirement for hospitality, entertainment and transportation etc.
LO3
impact of tourism activities from the economic and cultural the social and on environmental
perspective
Tourism gives a huge economic impact on the GDP almost 6 % of GDP of costa Rica
comes from the tourism. The tourism activities gives a lot benefits to the country which create
job employments ,it also give the massive import of currency exchange by only few ways. There
are many reasons for the growth it can be growth in the technology and income. Tourism
generates almost 7% of total employment, tourism includes main source from which foreign
currency comes. According to the united world tourism organisation UNWTO in 2018 around
1.4 billion international tourist were recorded. The main economic factors comes with job
creations, foreign exchange and it also create economic activity.
The social culture impact comes on the tourism is refers to one personal, how own
personal live how host and the guest relate to each others and how they live wit each other
Tourism can give effect of positive and the negative impact. The social and culture affect can
give the give the quality of the life, it can also give infrastructure development like hotels and the
resorts, the socio culture gives the better employment and the more business opportunity.
The environmental impact the attention on environment impact have came recently in
the remark with rise of sustainable tourism. The quality of the environment is important for both
the parties for the guest as well as the localities.(Ngo, and et.al., 2018)Tourism is totally depend

on the destinations environment on there lakes, river, mountains and landscapes. Costa Rica is
leading in the environmental impact because costa Rica is having the most fresh and healthy
environment. In the recent report the study had came that costa Rica is having the best
environment because around 90% of is persevered for the rain Forrest.
Principles of sustainability by which stakes holders meet there requirement
The first principle of sustainability is economical : economical is a big factor of
sustainability, in the recent study in costa Rica about almost 6% of GDP comes from the tourism.
By tourism economy of any country increases, tourism is the big reason behind the massive
foreign currency import. From the tourism job creation increases. By the tourism, not only the
big business owners get profits but also who are having business of local also tends to
increases. By economical success the government also get profit because of increase in the GDP.
The second principle of sustainability is comes from the society which is the sociological:
sociological impact gives a lot affect on the creditor and for investors also if the tourism of any
country increase the investors will try to invest there capital into new infrastructure and for their
country to make out profit maximization. And for the good infrastructure, labour needs increases.
In recent report of costa Rica almost 60% of new buildings and infrastructure are created and by
that the investors and the creditors and the localities get more benefit. The third in the
sustainability principles comes environment: The environment is the main factor which give the
massive impact for any country, because tourism and the tourist always attract by the
environment of the any country or any place. In Costa Rica almost 90% of energy comes from
their renewable resources . In costa Rica About 30% of forest is preserved of there rain forest.
Tourism always attract for the environment, Costa Rica is having many landscapes dams and the
rivers. People who attract from the different species also can see there many species. In costa
Rica their is sea mammal which attract the people most because that mammal is rare specie .
Form the environment impact the communities gets lots of affects because the tourist who goes
there for tourism they will need local communities to help the tourist to make their tour effective
and more understanding.

Contribution of stakes holders in development of the sustainable tourism:
Stakeholders are the most important factor for development of the sustainable tourism.
Following are the stakeholders that are contributing in the growth of sustainable and responsible
tourism in Costa Rica region.
Local people: of their country in developing the sustainable tourism. The local people decisions
prefers the most important because they are the only one who are living at ground level. The
impact of their decisions they'll take for them always comes in favour of them only and they can
suggest better for the cultures they are from and also for their better living. Costa Rica's is
leading in this point because the organisation of costa Rica always include the local people in the
decision making. The tourist and the tourism also can get benefits from them in many ways.
Tourism enterprises: The positive words and the positive tourism is depend the most on the
hospitality. The hospitality of the tourism enterprise also go in the other countries and other
world wide destinations by the tourist who travelled there. Tourism enterprise like the airlines
bus and the bus stations and the train and train transportation pay a huge role in the tourism
development. Any tourist will like the positive welcome of them and politeness from the local
tour organisation. Tour enterprise always pay a big role because without this organisation
travelling of tourist is just next to impossible. Costa Rica organization have many good travelling
organisation who provides all the best services with the best hospitality.
Government: Government in Costa Rica are constantly promoting sustainable and responsible
tourism. In such a process government has focused towards green energy, eco-friendly tourism
and such related activities. Green living is also a crucial initiative of government. Initiatives like
Ultra green lodges and many other contributed immensely in the overall growth of sustainable
and responsible tourism. Costa Rica will soon become the first carbon neutral country due to all
efforts put government.
LO4
Sustainability of Costa Rica is managed and developed by many ways:
In costa Rica almost 93% of of its energy comes from the using the renewable resources.
As tourist and tourism increases the pollutions also tends to increase in the recent study says that
pollution mainly occurs from the tourism while it can be noise pollution, sound pollutions or it
can be land pollution. The organisation of the Costa Rica is the only country who came forward
and thinking that by 2021 it will become carbon neutral country and at the same time erase the

word using of plastic bag from their vocabulary.(Panzer-Krause, S., 2019)The certification of
sustainability I.e. sustainability tourism certification have been developed in the costa Rica only.
This certification was implemented from last 4 years and from them it is used to measure the
sustainability of business and environment and also for sociological practises. The main failure
of the costa Rica was poverty which is now getting back on the track with the help of increased
tourism.
RECOMMENDATION
The main recommendation for costa Rica is that they should invest more in their
advertisements and also the organisation should make the team of localities who involve the
guest into their cultures. who make the tourist more comfortable with them and localities should
make them understand what was the historical and cultural things were behind the places.
CONCLUSION
In this report there is sustainable and responsible tourism and the role of global
organisation which helps to promote sustainable and responsible tourism ,which states that
sustainable tourism is a goal which is achievable only if people take responsibility to archive it
whereas responsible tourism is taking responsibility to make it sustainable . Further in this report
there is approach of development of tourism and planning, mainly which are geographical
sociological and economical. Add on to this report shows the impact of tourism on social cultural
and economical which states that how economy affects and increased by the tourism. Further this
report shows how stakeholders like local people, government and tourism enterprise helped
people in tourism. Lastly it shows that sustainability of costa Rica is developed by there eco-
friendly factors like ban on plastic product.

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Costa, G., 2020. Influential factors in water planning for sustainable tourism
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prospects. Springer.
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