Ecotourism and Natural Areas

Hello everybody! I’m just back from my first trip to Costa Rica! (I know, why did it take me so long?) Of course, my travel companion and I were happy as toucans enjoying all the beautiful landscapes, beaches, animals, and plants; mainly in protected natural areas. Of course, we also lounged in some pools, relaxed in gardens, and ate some tasty meals. But the main focus was enjoying natural areas. Like most of you when you travel, we were ecotourists. Costa Rica is well known as a destination for ecotourism. With 29 national parks, 19 wildlife refuges, 8 biological reserves, and myriad protected areas (protecting 25% of the country’s land area and 5% of the world’s biodiversity, supporting 6000 butterfly species, and making up 12% of the country’s GDP; Sanchez 2018), there is a lot for the ecologically minded visitor to see. The country also famously offers lots of active options for being outside in nature, like hiking, birding, horseback riding, zip-lining, rafting, and swimming. We found that the country was well set up for ecotourism, and that many Costa Ricans seemed generally enthusiastic about nature. Before checking in to a hotel on the edge of a natural area, the young hotel worker who greeted us insisted on showing us a resting boa, even before our welcoming rum drink. Back home in the US, I read a little bit about ecotourism in Costa Rica. For the most part, both the popular and the more serious assessments were positive. Ecotourism may benefit land protection and broader conservation attitudes. Although land protection may increase with ecotourism, legal restrictions are more influential in reducing deforestation and hunting (Stem et al. 2010). Ecotourism may educate and inspire travelers with benefits to conservation in the future. Even adventure tourists can come away with increased appreciation for conservation (Amici et al. 2021). Employment in ecotourism has positive effects on attitudes toward conservation (Stem et al. 2010). Ecotourism, by some accounts, has diversified the national economy, which previously had mainly exported a few agricultural products such as coffee and bananas. However, much like agricultural commodities, much of ecotourism income leaves the country and ends up in the hands of foreign investors. My friend and I enjoyed the times we hired a guide to help us spot and understand the nature we were seeing. One highlight was seeing a quetzal, a rare and spectacular bird I’d never seen before. Not only would we not have seen this species without our guide, but we would not have heard about its ecology and conservation. I’d say that spending a couple of weeks in Costa Rica moved me from being a casual birder to something a bit more focused (but please don’t ask me to parse out sandpipers!). Guides also have strong effects on their own communities. Locally trained ecotourism guides have ‘‘high levels of social, cultural and environmental capital, which in turn leads to a social field of high respect and legitimacy which can then afford them the ability to effectively communicate locally and culturally relevant environmental information to the local community’’ (de Burlo 2020). Ecotourism in Costa Rica, like many places, has its downsides and its critics. Is ecotourism, on the whole, producing more good than harm to the local economy and environment? In 2012, there were 2.34 million foreign visitors spending $2.4 billion. While potentially a boon to the local economy, that many visitors may threaten the resources that bring tourist income to the country. Ecotourists are concentrated in lovely, diverse protected areas that may be among the most vulnerable to over-visitation. Where ecotourism dominates local economies, towns may become economically vulnerable (Stem et al. 2010). Ecotourism, while having advantages over alternative land-use options, needs to be embedded in a broader process of planning and capacity building (Koens et al. 2009). At some point, ecotourism may become large-scale tourism, erasing some of its advantages (Sanchez 2018). One detailed study of an ecolodge found net benefits. In summary: ‘‘Restoration, preservation, and conservation efforts are responsible for the wide range of species found within their reserve, including increased abundance of highly threatened rodents and ground birds. There is no indication that visitation or tour activities have negative impacts on wildlife; instead, the Ecolodge effectively created a ‘human shield’ that weakens threats to wildlife arising from hunting, logging, and gold mining’’ (Gutierrez et al. 2020). Although Costa Rica’s ecotourism path may be unique, the issues raised by their tourism experience have broad applicability to other countries and natural areas, and at several scales. We increasingly recognize that we need public support for natural areas acquisition and management. But we all know of examples where a favorite spot is being ‘‘loved to death.’’ Natural areas professionals, along with many others, have much to offer to find that sweet spot that will benefit both people and nature in the future.