Ecotourism: The Costa Rica Case

This course will provide the students with an introduction to Costa Rican ecotourism. It will offer the chance to analyze this dynamic process from different socio-economic perspectives. It will discuss the economic importance of ecotourism for the Costa Rican national economy, the stimulation of grassroots, community ecotourism projects, and the role of ecotourism in securing environmental protection. We will explore the advances and limitations of ecotourism. Students will be encouraged to develop their conclusions about how ecotourism can help secure economic, environmental, and participatory alternatives to advance the Costa Rican sustainable development process. The course will be structured in three parts: PART ONE: Building the case for ecotourism: Definitions, history, and the context of ecotourism in Costa Rica. PART TWO: Costa Rica’s policy framework and institutional commitment to ecotourism. The development of ecotourism in the regional and national setting. PART THREE: Costa Rica’s ecotourism sector. Projects, case studies, and conclusions explored.