Tourism

We got a little better taste of eco-tourism on our trip to Arenal and Monteverde this past weekend. We were tourist because of the natural landscape and features.

People visit Arenal to see a sight that you can't see many places in the world: an active volcano. We were able to enjoy hot springs heated by the volcano and take a hike through the park that lead to a lava flow from the most recent eruption. It was all marked off so that we stayed on specific paths so that the park could maintain its natural beauty.

Monteverde was just the same. The rainforest was preserved for the most part so that we could take our night and morning walks and see the wildlife and insects that lived in the forest. I think the ziplining was a very commercial version of eco-tourism because we were able to enjoy the rainforest and also the thrill of flying through the trees and over the canopy (which I can't stress how amazing it was).

Many people believe that eco-tourism is still tourism and negatively effects the environment whether or not it is a natural sight. I agree that this is true but when you compare traveling to visit naturally maintained sights rather than commercial areas, you are doing something beneficial rather than harmful. Also, in cases such as Costa Rica, income is being brought to the country by those who want to see these sights. Not only can it be very beneficial for the economy of the surrounding areas, but it also encourages that who could benefit financially to maintain the beauty and keep the environment untouched.

Over the past 2 days, our whole group (less our instructors) took a trip to Manuel Antonio to visit the beach. It was obvious to me that the environment is a key attraction after noticing the view from our hotel room. In many other beach locations, the coast is lined with huge hotels and homes and the natual landscape is no longer natural. Despite the small stores and restaurants, Manuel Antonio seemed almost untouched. Standing outside our hotel room, you could see how beautiful the coast was. There were trees everywhere and it was much prettier than say Florida or California.

I think that eco-toursim is much more benefical when the right natural features exist and can be utilized. I'm excited to see more of what Costa Rica has to offer in the next few weeks.