Turismo Parte Cuatro

First I would like to say YAY for this being my last industry blog!!!!

Today we visited La Paz Waterfall Gardens which is a tourist attraction that definitely qualifies as ecotourism. There was so much to see in such a small space and it was all about nature and the natural environment. There were exotic birds, frogs, snakes, butterflies, monkeys, waterfalls and more, and although the creatures were not in the wild, the surroundings seemed somewhat close to a natural habitat. Even the bathrooms were very natural. The sink water did not come from a faucet but rather a little waterfall. Everything was made from natural materials like wood and the paper used was recycled. Although using a lot of wood like that may not be sustainable it does add to the overall feel of the location and enhances a tourist's experience. When coming to Costa Rica tourists want to see things like the stuff we saw today. I have waited the entire trip to see toucans and we were able to get very close and take pictures right next to them which was pretty amazing. And not only that but I literally had beautiful butterflies crawling on me and a bird landed on my head. It was really cool to be so close to such awesome creatures. La Paz is a place that has definitely capitalized on the ecotourism industry. 

According to Treehugger.com Costa Rica was the leading Latin American country in 2007 in certified sustainable tourism. CR boosts nearly 70 tourism businesses that are certified as sustainable. Costa Rica has been experiencing a boom in the tourism industry for years due to the growing interest and demand in ecotourism. It's good to hear that they are not only working on being good to the environment but also working towards being certifiably sustainable, which is no small task. Because Costa Rica as a country cares so much about their environment I believe they will be able to reach their goal of becoming the first carbon neutral country. I think being a totally sustainable country could even bring in more tourists. People would want to see what it's like to be sustainable and also want to know that they are traveling to a solid place that cares about the world. Sustainability and ecotourism really mesh together and in the end improving both sectors will be better for everyone.