Self sustainable tourism in Costa Rica (Eco Tourism)

Costa Rica has fame and a history regarding the protecting of the environment and the protection of their natural resources. Costa Rica is also the country which increases popularity among the tourists, with a substantial amount of visitors every year approximately 2 million. It is very important to be aware of the damage all these visitors could make to the environment. Therefore one of the initiatives to preserve nature in Costa Rica begins with sustainable tourism.

To lead this project, control and certify out of various state identities the made a Sustainable Tourism Program or CST The Certification in Sustainable Tourism Program CST, is a product of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT). CST was designed to differentiate tourism sector businesses based on the degree to which they comply with a sustainable model of natural, cultural and social resource management.

CST is regulated by the Costa Rican National Accreditation Commission and consists of a scale of 5 "levels" of sustainable tourism achievement.

It is a program that seeks to categorize and certify each tourism company according to the degree to which its operations comply with a model of sustainability.

We think of green hotels mostly during vacation travel to destinations in the rainforest, on the beach or the mountains. However, our Hotel Rincon the San Jose in the city of San Jose tries to be as “ green” and as self sustainable as possible. We feel that we have to contribute in a better environment and cultural preservation and support with in our capacities.A simple calculation tells us what influence only one tourist could have on our nature.

Taking in regard that, an average tourist will be 10 days in our country and travels around.

– 1 plastic water bottle a day which takes 300 years to breakdown in nature

– 1 plastic bag a day in supermarket or store

– 2-3 hours in car per day

– 1 shower a day, 80 litres of water

– 4 toilet flushing’s a day, 30 litres of water

– ¼ of laundry machine a day, 20 litres of water

– 1 day per river boat

– 240 kw electricity a day

– ¼ gallon cleaning products down the drain

If you amplify these amounts with 2 million it is amazing what kind of amount of waste and energy is used by all tourists in Costa Rica.

Therefore Hotel Rincon de San Jose has various projects to protect our environment

We have been certified by the Costa Rican Tourism ministry since 2006.

What Hotel Rincon de San Jose actually does to be self- sustainable!

– We recycle rain water

– We use thermostatic showers

– We use solar energy to heat water

– We use energy efficient light bulbs

– We recycle our garbage

– We don’t use air-condition installations

– We purchase in bulk and prefer reusable or recyclable containers.

– We prepare our food with the utmost care out of fresh local products

– We purchase at local groceries or bakeries

– We use biodegradable products for cleaning

– We don’t use chlore but biodegradable disinfectants

– We offer our guests towel and linen change on an optional basis.

– We take care of our plants with products that are friendly to our environment

– We carefully monitor energy, natural gas and water consumption and make monthly adjustments in order to reduce usage.

– We fumigate our hotel with ecological products.

– We provide guests with information on local attractions, environmental protection actions and ways to get involved.

– We provide water in biodegradable bottles and in this way we contribute to all national parks.

– We advice our guests to stay in locally owned and run hotels that offer employment opportunities to the local community.

– We support local initiatives for the more unfortunate ones.

These are the things we do but what you can do!

Here are some ideas, wich some are more difficult to do others are simpler, but if we take them together we can make a difference to the places we visit.

Take the memories and leave only your footprint “Marco Polo”

We all know that we have to be careful with environment and o reuse our hotel towels and request that guest room linens not be changed every day, but what else can we do to reduce our impact as we travel?

The issue is not to stop travelling, but make travel more sustainable.

More sustainable, means consider the natural resources, local cultures, and trying not to make great impact on the places we visit.

The best souvenirs are the things we leave behind!

It’s important travelling through out the world you take steps to lighten your ecological footprint, and consider your way of travelling. Discover the natural and cultural beauty of Costa Rica by learning about the history, customs, folklore, and biodiversity that make them so special.

Become a more conscious and conscientious traveller

Share they’re commitment to these sites with hotels, tour operators, and other travel-related entities. Preserve the natural and cultural values of Costa Rica by following designated trails, respecting local rules and customs, and not removing archaeological or biological treasures.