The green gold of Costa Rica
Costa Rica was late in becoming aware of its ecological assets. For decades, the country did not realize the undeniable natural wealth on which it was sleeping. Costa Rica has 6% of all the animal and plant species on the planet, primary forests, two coastlines with preserved shores, rugged terrain with active volcanoes, mountains or dense and lush jungles. The tropical forest covered the entire territory at the time of the arrival of the conquistadors, then, with the Western colonization, the country lost nearly half of its wooded areas in only thirty years. In 1950, three quarters of the territory was open to logging due to the development of large-scale agriculture. By 1953, the forest had shrunk by 50%, and by the 1980s, it occupied only 30% of the land. This was due to the exponential installation of extensive livestock, logging and agricultural plantations, which were fatal to the forest and the animal species that lived there. It is only after 1987 that the tendency was reversed, in particular thanks to the intervention of the State. On the verge of ecological disaster, the country created from the 1960s onwards protection zones (parks, reserves and refuges) which have become today the first source of income of the country thanks to ecotourism. The Swedish ecologist Nils Olof Wessberg and the Danish ecologist Karen Morgenson were the ones who created the first national reserve, Cabo Blanco in the Nicoya Peninsula. The foundation of this reserve, the first protected area in the country in 1963, marked the beginning of the nature conservation policy. Cabo Blanco even led Costa Rica to think and create its current national system of conservation areas.
Gradually, the interest of international organizations and national institutions to finance different conservation projects grew, Costa Ricans became ecologically committed and received grants from the state to rehabilitate reforestation areas. Since then, this awareness has continued to grow: today, the forest cover represents more than half of the country's surface area, which plans to reach a forest cover of 60% by 2030. Through this new posture towards the environment, the country aims at the regeneration of its biological wealth and adopts the idea of a new concept: the marriage of ecology and economy. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to double the area of its forests while tripling the country's economy: protecting nature is far from being contradictory with the objective of growth.
The tourist bonanza
Real point of restart of the Costa Rican economy, tourism was considered at the end of the 1980s. Costa Rica has not always supported a green policy, but realized quite early the richness of its biodiversity and the need to protect it. Already at the initiative of many ecological projects, the country realized the potential offered by its exceptional biodiversity and decided to reconcile tourist activities with environmental protection. Over the years, a few modern-day adventurers fell in love with Costa Rican wildlife and tourism turned out to be a boon that had to be optimized at all costs: in a country where the economy is declining and where the next regression is looming, the government of Costa Rica made it a priority to protect this biodiversity and to make it a pillar of sustainable development. Already aware of the fragility of Central American biodiversity, tourism offers are diversifying, training courses are being created to prepare qualified personnel, diversified agriculture favors local products, and infrastructures are being sponsored.
The values of Costa Rican tourism were built and derived from the avant-garde convictions that the country had been developing since the 1950s, and the results were quickly felt: beginning in the late 1980s, thanks in particular to a flow of North American visitors, tourist traffic was exponential. The number of foreign tourists increased from 329,000 in 1988 to 1.03 million in 1999 and finally reached the absolute record of 3 million in 2016. In 2022, the GDP represents 8.2% of the country's total. But then what is ecotourism based on? Also called "green tourism", ecotourism has biodiversity as its keyword. It is a responsible tourism contributing to the social progress of the country by redistributing the economic benefits. It aims to educate and sensitize tourists to travel "without leaving any trace", to improve the living conditions of local populations and, of course, to preserve the living world. To manage, develop and maintain the protected areas, funds are raised from the government, international organizations, individuals (via a portion of their income tax) and tourists (from park entrance fees). Finally, since 1997, the Certificación para el Turismo Sostenible (CST) is a label awarded to companies that meet strict environmental protection specifications, with a guarantee against greenwashing.
Wild Eden and exceptional nature
In Costa Rica, all paths lead to a river, a forest, a lagoon, a beach or the slopes of a volcano. No need to walk for hours to find a preserved paradise! Between tropical forests, hanging bridges and high mountains, Costa Rica is a destination where you can go green and breathe deeply! The largest of all the parks, Santa Rosa, in Guanacaste, covers 45,000 hectares while the most visited park, Manuel Antonio, covers 690 hectares. Among the 30 national parks in the country, the Rincón de la Vieja park, which includes the massif where the Rincón de la Vieja volcano is located, is certainly one of the most majestic. Here, fumaroles, cloud forests, waterfalls and rivers offer a unique tropical landscape. On the east coast, Tortuguero National Park, on the Nicaraguan border, offers an environment of marshes, mangroves and sublime beaches where multiple species of turtles come to lay their eggs. On the other hand, on the Osa Peninsula, the Corcovado Park reveals a wilderness that alone represents 2.5% of the world's biodiversity. Animal lovers will have the chance to observe monkeys, tapirs, snakes and countless birds. Here, the environment is a wealth, a treasure to be preserved, and a philosophy of wonder seems to maintain this constant gratitude towards the living world.
Ticos have developed a unique relationship with nature and combine the vast majority of their activities with the outdoors. From yoga sessions on the beach facing the Pacific Ocean to jungle hikes and exotic bird watching, nature is omnipresent in all its forms. In the humidity of the jungle, we walk towards a refreshing waterfall with howler monkeys in the background... And nobody seems to get tired of so much calm and pleasure! Finally, the people who still have the possibility to live in a traditional way do not artificialize their environment; they know it perfectly and do not damage it. They have been able to survive for thousands of years without compromising the regenerative capacity of ecosystems.
From avant-gardist to spokesperson for biodiversity
"The State must guarantee the right to the greatest well-being to all the inhabitants of the country, organizing and stimulating the production and better distribution of wealth. For this reason, it seems legitimate to denounce the acts that go against this right and to demand reparation. The State must guarantee, defend and preserve this right. The law will determine the responsibilities and the corresponding sanctions." (Article 50 of the Political Constitution of Costa Rica). With this article, added to the Constitution on September 14, 2002, the President of the Republic Abel Pacheco insists on the right of everyone to enjoy the best possible environment, that is to say, healthy and ecologically balanced. After the social guarantees signed in 1943, environmental guarantees became one of the country's priorities. This ecological bet gives Costa Rica a head start. The country is in perpetual need of reviving its biodiversity and is constantly rethinking how to develop its benevolence towards all forms of life: instead of exploiting its environment as an infinite well of resources, which can be used without limit, Costa Rica considers other living beings and has understood that they also depend on it to exist. The country requires that wastewater treatment be ecological, that renewable energies be the main energy source and that the use of pesticides be almost zero. With the Paz con la naturaleza initiative, Costa Rica has even set the goal of being the first country in the world to be carbon neutral. Its green policy goes beyond the country's borders: the isthmus, characterized by an ecological corridor - corredor biologico mesoamericano - is now a vast international nature preservation area. Costa Rica is now a model of nature protection and tourism development. Having become the world's ecological school, the country is constantly rethinking its definition of ecotourism by anchoring sustainable development in its customs. It is this attitude, which is exemplary to say the least, that will allow it to continue to remain a green and popular tourist destination.
