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Costa RicaTourism Policy & Planning Framework

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Country Profile• Republic in Southern Central

America. • Bordered by Nicaragua on the

East and Panama on the South- West.

• Good Agricultural Soils.• Fishing carried out along the

coast.• Hydro-electric power is

abundant.• 13.7% of the country’s area

protected by conservation programs.

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Costa Rica: Tourism Facts

• “Valle Central” - major destination for international tourism.

• “Economic Motor” of the country.• Growing “Eco-Tourism” business.• First country to participate in “debt for nature

swap” program.

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Costa Rica: Environmental Challenges

• Extensive deforestation occurs despite efforts to protect forests.

• Privately owned lands make deforestation difficult to control.

• Deforestation contributes to the country’s problematic issue of soil erosion.

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Costa Rica: Eco Tourism

Types of Eco-Tourism available include:• Hiking• Bird Watching• Flora & Fauna Observation• Volcano Visits.• Canopy & Fishing.

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Tourism trends in Costa Rica over recent decades

Source: Tourism and Hospitality Research Vol. 10, 3, p234–245.

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Tourism trends in Costa Rica over recent decades: con’d.

Source: Tourism and Hospitality Research Vol. 10, 3, p234–245.

Pvc: Average Probability of visiting Valle Central AKA Meseta Central

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Recommendations

• Activity packages to increase demand of adventure tourism.

• Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) should carry out probability measures on adventure tourism.

• Comparative Analysis of tourism packages by tour operators.

Are valuable methods in increasing tourism for both public and private sectors of tourism

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References• Business Insights. (2010). The Onshore and Offshore Wind Power Generation Outlook. Datamonitor

360. p124. Available: http://360.datamonitor.com/Product?pid=BI00016-034. Last accessed 26/01/2012.

• Brittanica. (2012). Costa Rica. Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/139528/Costa-Rica.

• Last accessed 27/01/12.• Carías, D & Alpízar, F. (2011). Choice experiments in environmental impact assessment: the case of

the Toro 3 hydroelectric project and the Recreo Verde tourist center in Costa Rica. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal. 29 (4), p252-262. Available: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f9a08614-321d-4c15-96cc-4a7259b5ad20%40sessionmgr111&vid=5&hid=113. Last accessed 26/01/2012.

• Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.• Villalobos-C é spedes, D. et al (2010). Demand indicators for adventure tourism packages in Costa

Rica: An exploratory analysis. Tourism & Hospitality Research. 10 (3), p234-245. Available: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=107&sid=1a34fd01-6d5e-4bb2-a182-3d0f39f3f0a0%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=52341988. Last accessed 26/01/12.

• World Wild Life. (2012). Debt for Nature Swaps. Available: http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/howwedoit/conservationfinance/debtfornatureswaps.html. Last accessed 27/01/12. Last accessed 27/01/12.

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