Ecotourism & Sustainability

What’s the big deal?

What makes us different…

Ecotourism is “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.” It includes an interpretation/learning experience, is delivered to small groups by small-scale businesses, and stresses local ownership, particularly for rural people.

Make this trip a good one!

Ecotourism encompasses 6 main factors…

Modes of transportation
Consider walking or cycling during your trip, using public transportation, renting hybrid vehicles, and traveling by train rather than plane whenever possible.
Offset & Environmental Policy
Calculate and offset the carbon dioxide emitted by your travel and purchase your trip through companies with policies that consider environmental, economic, and socio-cultural impacts.
Dollars spent locally
Ensure that local people benefit from your trip by spending money in community or locally owned businesses and work with tour operators and lodges that employ local people.
Environmental Conservation
Choose a trip that strengthens the conservation efforts for and enhances the natural integrity of the places you visit, including protected areas and wildlife habitats.
Respect for local culture
Immerse yourself in and accept the differences of other cultures…learning about their customs and social norms before you visit, and speaking their language when possible.
Natural Resource Use
Reduce, reuse, and recycle…and consider the efficient use of water, energy, and building materials as well as the method of waste disposal used by your tour operator or lodging establishment.

We have to start somewhere…

What you can do!

The sustainable travel movement is strong and growing and includes multiple organizations around the world that are seeking to educate people about how they can help. Many of the suggestions are simple, can be easily instituted, and will make a difference. Whether you are going to a highly-developed urban center or rural beach town in Costa Rica, as a responsible tourist you should be knowledgeable about your destination, seek awareness of the impact that your presence has on the local population and environment, and attempt to minimize negative impacts. Pura vida!

All ATEC Tours

The No. 1 threat to Costa Rica’s endangered species is habitat destruction, followed closely by illegal hunting and trapping.