Costa Rica Hosting International Sustainable Tourism Conference
Sustainable tourism experts from around the world are gathering this week at the Hotel Herradura in San Jose, Costa Rica for the First International Conference for Sustainable Tourism. Costa Rica was chosen since it is a model for developing a robust tourism industry that is in harmony with the environment that spawned it. Topics that will be discussed include the role that tourism related businesses play in combating global warming, management of protected areas, sustainable construction and environmental certifications. The conference is this week from the 26th to the 29th at the Hotel Herradura and was organized by the Cámera Nacional de Ecoturismo de Costa Rica (Canaeco). Other organizations involved include ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Ministry), CANATUR (Costa RIca Chamber of Tourism), The Association of Professionals in Tourism and The International Ecotourism Sosciety. The conference is meant to enlighten hoteliers, tour operators and others linked with tourism about concepts related to sustainable tourism. One of the topics will be the CST certification (Certificate in Sustainable Tourism) that Costa Rica has had in place for a decade. Currently 101 tourism related businesses (mostly hotels) in Costa Rica have the certification. That number has more than doubled in the last six years. The CST is awarded to those establishments that can demonstrate a level of proficiency in such areas as use of water and energy, programs for waste management, and implementation of good practices in protecting the environment. Other countries that seek to implement similar programs are looking to the CST program in Costa Rica as a solid working model that has exhibited great success.