Costa Rican tourism efforts should be recognised for their concern for environmental conservation and employing locals, a travel agent has said.
Trips Worldwide, which specialises in the Latin American and Caribbean sectors, views the island as an example for other nations to follow, having 'developed quite gradually', setting up a solid base.
Responsible travel can have benefits such as employing local guides, using local foodstuffs and contributing towards preservation of reserves, according to Trips Worldwide's product manager John Faithfull.
'Costa Rica is a great example of a country where the tourism developed quite gradually and in an environmentally aware fashion and shows they have taken note of some poor examples of tourism development in neighbouring countries,' he said.
Hotels in Costa Rica often use solar power and alternative energies instead of being tied to the local grid, Mr Faithfull indicated.
Mr Faithfull also praised the efforts of Panama, which is an upcoming destination that is trying to learn some lessons from the Costa Rican government's approach to tourism.
And Nicaragua, he added, could follow a similar path and be a huge hit with tourists due to the variety of its natural resources.
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