RESPONSIBLE
TOURISM
Make
this vacation experience not only memorable but meaningful too!
 What
You Can Mean to Costa Rica
We all know that Costa
Rica's number one tourist attraction is its natural
environment. It's cathedral cloud forests, imposing
mountains, spewing volcanoes and primordial rainforests
beckon us to come and visit their earthly roots. But
as we share these treasures of nature, we must also
learn to care for them. The single greatest influence
you as a traveler can have on the environment you visit,
lies in your purchasing power. Support responsible tourism,
beginning the moment you consider a vacation to this
ecological paradise. Give careful consideration to choosing
the right tour operator to ensure your money goes a
step further than just buying a night in a hotel. It
is in this way that economic benefit can be shared by
the local community who will remain encouraged and committed
to continue the protection of this nationís vast natural
resources.
Certification for Sustainable Tourism
The Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program
was conceived in Costa Rica in 1997 and has been adopted
by the World Tourism Organizationís Sustainable Tourism
Commission as the standard to be implemented by nations
worldwide. The plan encourages the kind of tourism development,
which is economically successful without giving up a
holistic, long-term future which benefits the local
community as well as the surrounding environment. Efforts
like the CST program help conscientious travelers like
you make better informed decisions, and invite businesses
like Sunny Land Tours to embrace the economic benefits
of sustainable development and eco tourism. Sunny Land
Tours is proud to be the very first U.S. tour operator
to be voluntarily evaluated under this plan.
Sunny Land Tours Marketing Director, Jose Luis Cabada, in a Carbon-Offset Forest
Mr. Cabada discusses converting pastures to new forests to offset the greenhouse gases from tourism in Costa Rica with Lauren Hintlian and Dr. Herster Barres of Reforest The Tropics. This forest was established by RTT in a joint project with Hacienda Las Delicias and the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (CMEEC) to offset the CO2 emissions of their building and fleet of cars in the US. “Farm forests in Costa Rica can capture and store emissions from flights to and from the US while producing income for the farm through intelligent, scientific management as shown in this program”, says Mr. Cabada. This 9-year old forest is composed of Almendro and Klinkii.
Photo; 25 Sept 09.
Carbon Capture and Storage In COSTA RICA
CCS is carbon capture and storage. On September 25, 2009, Mr. Cabada spent a day in the Las Delicias Farm near Pocora, Costa Rica, inspecting the forests in a UNFCCC Program. Managed by Reforest the Tropics in cooperation with the farm owners, this 15-acre (7-hectare) forest is capturing and storing the carbon emissions from an office building and fleet of vehicles in Connecticut. From left to right: Lauren Hintlian, Ing Rolando Camacho, and Dr. Herster Barres of RTT. On the right, Mr. Cabada. RTT forests has captured over 50 tonnes of CO2/ha in a single year, although the average expected, after deducting the logs extracted for farmer income, is estimated at 20 tonnes/ha/yr. RTT manages this UNFCCC applied research program in Costa Rica and in the US to develop and demonstrate improved models of CCS farm forests. Photo: 25Sept09.
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