Guanacaste tourist mega-projects. Local perceptions for the future solutions

The health crisis and the global freezing of economies have showed the deep dependence of many communities in the world on one sector of the economy. In the case of Costa Rica, this is what happened in the province of Guanacaste, in the northwest of the country. Over the past three decades, this peripheral area and one of the poorest in Costa Rica has become a very attractive region for investors, both foreign and domestic, investing their funds mainly in the tourism sector. During this period, many mega-projects were constructed that changed not only the social, economic and cultural life of local people, but also influenced the natural environment. In this article, we describe major investments in economic infrastructure and their contribution to the development of the tourism sector. We analyse the threats posed by the huge dependence of the Guanacaste region on tourism. Taking into account local experiences and perceptions based on field research and interviews, we are also considering the legitimacy of promoting tourism as a development path for this region, strongly promoted by the Costa Rican central government.