Ecotourism Impacts In The Nicoya Peninsula Tourism Essay

Ecotourism promotes responsible travel to natural countries, environmental preservation, and the well-being of local communities. Eco-lodges are an of import constituent of ecotourism ventures but an infrequently researched constituent of this field. Sing their influence on the natural environment ( design and operation ) and local communities ( employment patterns and purchases ) , the success of ecotourism depends, in portion, on the public presentation of eco-lodges. This paper summarizes a survey designed to analyse the effects of the Punta Islita ( PI ) eco-lodge of the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. An interdisciplinary nested-scale analysis, uniting invitee and family interviews with multi-temporal remote feeling analysis of forest screen alteration of the Lodge and environing countries is used to measure the environmental, economic and societal impacts of ecotourism in the part. Our findings show the PI eco-lodge has made significant parts to both local supports and environmental preservation. For local supports, the PI eco-lodge was seen as holding positive societal, cultural and economic impacts for about all social variables for both employees and their neighbours. The PI eco-lodge was besides perceived as cut downing alcohol addiction, drug dependence and harlotry, where conventional touristry on the Peninsula was shown to increase these ‘societal ailments ‘ . Land value and merchandise pricing were the few variables that were believed to hold increased as a consequence of touristry on the Peninsula. For preservation, the PI eco-lodge belongings had the highest rates of re-afforestation within the Nicoya Peninsula and remains the graduated table most reforested in both forest screen alteration and entire wood screen. In fact, at the landscape graduated table we find that the Pacific seashore of the Nicoya, where the majority of ecotourism occurs, has undergone re-afforestation while forest insides have been deforested. Historically, re-afforestation occurred as cowss ranching recognition plans were halted by the authorities and families in the country left to happen better occupation chances. The PI eco-lodge, as a beginning of good employment, resulted in worker migration back to the environing country, ensuing in some instances in increased deforestation. Overall, we feel that PI eco-lodge serves as an illustration of successful ecotourism. However, increasing development in the part, in peculiar by standard hotel operations and big condo developments, seeks to capitalise on the part ‘s natural beauty and may change by reversal land screen tendencies if they are non accompanied by equal forest preservation schemes and stresses the importance of monitoring and measuring the impacts of adjustments tied to nature-based touristry operations.

Cardinal words: Ecotourism, Nested Scale Analysis, Land Cover Change

Introduction

Ecotourism and Eco-lodges

The hotel sector in Costa Rica has grown over 400 % from 1987 to 2000 ( INCAE, 2000 ) , matching with the addition in touristry from approximately 250,000 in 1987 to 1 million in 1999. There has been an on-going argument on the function hotels have played in nature preservation within Costa Rica. Although empirical grounds by and large supports hotels as holding cardinal functions as spouses of the national park system, other grounds indicates the rapid growing of hotels is escalating environmental jobs around many popular national Parkss ( Jones et al. 2001 ; INCAE, 2000 ; Rivera, 1998 ; Davies and Cahill, 1999 ) .

Eco-lodges are different from tourer hotels in that they specifically strive to adhere to the rules of ecotourism ( Hawkins et al. , 1995 ) . Ecotourism ( besides called ‘sustainable touristry ‘ ) , aims to at the same time: ( a ) minimize environmental impact through a little ecological ‘footprint ‘ , ( B ) contribute to preservation through direct attempts or indirect fiscal benefits, and ( degree Celsius ) advance local supports through local political authorization and culturally-appropriate societal and economic benefits ( Ceballos-Lascurain, 1987 ; Scheyvens, 1999 ; and Christ et al. , 2003 ) . Nevertheless, malaise remains with eco-lodges in Costa Rica with the concern that as nature-based touristry has quickly grown, so excessively has eco-lodge development, and frequently within or near natural countries and with damaging environmental and societal impacts ( Metha, 2006 ) . If one considers the possible influence eco-lodges have on local communities ( e.g. , employment patterns and purchases ) and the natural environment ( e.g. , design and operation ) , the success of ecotourism in an country depends, in portion, on the public presentation of eco-lodges.

Research has addressed ecotourism from many different subjects and angles from community-based ecotourism ( e.g. , Wyman & A ; Stein, In Press ; Manyara & A ; Jones, 2007 ; Wunder, 2000 ; Belsky, 1999 ; Getz & A ; Jamal, 1994 ) to impacts to the natural environment and wildlife ( e.g. , Marion & A ; Reid, 2007 ; Jim, 2000 ; Obua, 1997 ; Jacobson & A ; Lopez, 1994 ) . However, despite the importance of adjustment services in ecotourism, such as eco-lodges, their impacts have seldom been addressed ( Osland & A ; MacKoy, 2004 ; Blangy & A ; Hitesh, 2006 ) .

There has besides been really small attending within the ecotourism literature given to critical and strategically of import countries, including the industry and quality control ( Weaver and Lawton, 2007 ) . Aside from community-based ecotourism and establishments, the ecotourism sector is dominated by private sector concerns ( specialized, such as eco-lodges and non-specialized ) . Additionally, quality control and attached indexs would be critical to guarantee societal and ecological outlooks are met ( Weaver and Lawton, 2007 ) . Even where there have been instance surveies presented on ecotourism installations ( e.g. , Barany et al. , 2001 ; Lindberg et al. , 1996 ; Ross & A ; Wall, 1999 ) , surveies have non applied any strategic direction model to analyse impacts ( Olsen et al. , 1998 ) .

Impact Analysis

Sing ecotourism ‘s function as a tool for preservation and sustainable development ( Ceballos-Lascurain, 1998 ) , keeping this sustainability for a site has become an of import issue ( Sheng-Hshiung et al. , 2006 ) . Sustainable development implies that environmental, economic, and societal dimensions be taken into consideration because they are elaborately connected to, and influenced by each other ( Young, 1992 ; McCool, 1995 ) . Sustainable touristry stresses the importance of continual monitoring of any touristry program. Some type of impact analysis with proper planning and monitoring can find to what degree touristry development is consistent with pre-established preservation and community aims and maintain negative impacts to a lower limit ( Olsen et al. , 1998 ; Diamantis, 1998 ; Twining-Ward & A ; Butler, 2002 ; Blangy & A ; Hitesh, 2006 ) . Therefore, a continued application of impact analyses is necessary to measure touristry development undertakings and correct any disagreements and can besides offer the added benefit of reappraisal and betterment of enfranchisement standards.

For measuring societal impacts it is the qualitative informations ( societal and economic ) that is the most meaningful to sustainable touristry analyses ( Kalisch, 2002 ) but a challenge for standard scene and benchmarking ( Font and Harris, 2004 ; Wober, 2002 ) . This is due to the fact that information is non really meaningful if quantified beyond basic statistics for mensurating community engagement with a touristry endeavor ( e.g. , perceptual experiences towards crowdedness, income and employment ) ( Moore, Smith and Newsome, 2003 ) . When measuring environmental impacts, nevertheless, remote feeling informations provides information on the differences in land-cover features on spacial and temporal degrees and have been used on a broad scope of analyses, one of which is forest alteration sensing ( DiFiore, 2002 ; Southworth et al. , 2004 ) .

Ecotourism will hold the best opportunity of keeping responsible actions when backed by a clear set of criterions, systematically applied, as would be the instance in an country with a national or regional ecotourism enfranchisement plan ( on enfranchisement, see Honey, 2002 ) . The Certification for Sustainable Tourism ( CST ) system of Costa Rica offered a fitting enfranchisement system where a big figure of societal and environmental impacts are monitored, including direction of emanations and waste, protection of vegetations and zoologies, economic benefits, and cultural development.

Aims

The aim of this survey was to measure environmental and societal impacts of the Punta Islita eco-lodge, located on Costa Rica ‘s Nicoya peninsula. We tested the value of ecotourism ; utilizing Punta Islita as a theoretical account instance survey, as a preservation and development tool, and besides sought to prove the public-service corporation and value of the back uping enfranchisement system ( Punta Islita is top-ranked by Costa Rica ‘s CST ) . The relevancy of enfranchisement is that by operationalizing definitions of ecotourism, it will endeavour to better industry public presentation and influence markets ( Font, 2001 ; Buckley, 2002 ) . Specifically, this survey strived to understand occupants ‘ sentiments sing socio-cultural, environmental, and economic costs and benefits. In add-on, this survey evaluated the local environmental alterations experienced since Punta Islita began its operations in 1994 utilizing distant detection. The primary inquiries that guided our probe were:

1. What have been the chief societal, economic and environmental impacts-positive and negative-of ecotourism at the Punta Islita Eco-Lodge on the Nicoya peninsula?

2. Have preservation attempts at the Lodge been of sufficient magnitude and continuance to cut down deforestation?

3. Has Punta Islita had an identifiable impact on local environmental consciousness, and specifically has it contributed to the spread of preservation moralss in the country?

Method

Study Site

Costa Rica is a precursor in the development and enfranchisement of sustainable touristry concerns and a theoretical account for states seeking to pull off touristry responsibly. Within Costa Rica, Hotel Punta Islita ( afterlife PI ) , opened in 1994, is acclaimed for its dedication to community development and environmental preservation. PI eco-lodge is in private owned and situated amidst secondary wood on the Pacific confronting side of the Nicoya Peninsula ( Fig. 1 ) . PI eco-lodge developed from a traditional cows and timber ranch operation. This rural country was ab initio developed for lumber extraction in the fortiess but one time the cherished lumbers were exhausted, the country tuned towards cowss ranching, and subsequently to agriculture until authorities agricultural inducements ended. By the mid 1990 ‘s most households had migrated towards urban countries for employment. The land was subsequently divided into three independent but interlinked entities, PI eco-lodge, Forestales and Lomas de Islita. PI has invested in the local communities through art instruction, micro-enterprise development, local work force preparation and publicity, economic equality for adult females and kids through handcraft production, and general infrastructural betterments. Fostering private and public coaction, PI has combined a for-profit hotel with a community-based foundation. Both entities are dedicated to sustainable touristry and adhere to the Costa Rican-based enfranchisement system, Certification for Sustainable Ecotourism ( CST ) .

Data Collection

Data aggregation used an interdisciplinary “ nested-scale ” methodological analysis, uniting land screen analyses through remote feeling with on-the-ground appraisal via participant observation, interviews and questionnaires ( Almeyda et al. , 2010 ) . Each graduated table includes chances to measure and supervise multi-temporal environmental and socio-cultural alterations, every bit good as constructing up from information derived from finer graduated tables ( Fig. 2 ) . The largest graduated table, “ landscape ” , is tantamount to the full Nicoya Peninsula and provided the context within which the finer graduated table degrees were evaluated. Second largest in extent is the “ community ” graduated table which included five communities within PI ‘s spacial and cultural extent countries of influence. Third is the “ family ” graduated table, which included both families influenced by PI indirectly ( such as propinquity ) or straight ( through personal employment ) . The concluding graduated table, “ Punta Islita ” , spatially includes the PI belongings, every bit good as two extra adjacent belongingss managed by PI ownership, and socially includes persons associated with the eco-lodge ( proprietors, operators, tourers, and employees ) . The complementary graduated tables and methods used at multiple locations provided a better apprehension of the diverse ecotourism impacts.

Spatial Analysiss

Landsat orbiter imagination crossing from 1975 until 2008 was acquired from on-line databases. Images were georeferenced to a basal image generated through a NASA directive to bring forth a planetary database of orthorectified Landsat imagination covering all tellurian countries ( hypertext transfer protocol: //glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/portal/geocover/ ) . Root average square mistakes of the deflection theoretical accounts used to georeference images to the base image was less than 0.5 pel ( or 15 metres ) . Radiance imagination was converted to pseudo-reflectance utilizing log remainders. Cloud and cloud shadow countries within each image were manually removed. Multiple image day of the months were merged to minimise land country non seeable due to overcast or striping due to scan line rectification malfunction in the Landsat ETM+ 2007-08 images. Following aggregation of wood, grazing land and H2O spectral endmembers unique to each merged image, the spectral angle plotter algorithm was used to sort each 30 x 30 metre Landsat pel per orbiter image into forest and non-forest categories. Areas outside the Nicoya Peninsula were removed from the survey country.

An truth appraisal was performed utilizing 126 land control points spread throughout agribusiness, grazing land, secondary wood, and forest plantations within the Nicoya peninsula. Geographic co-ordinates of these locations were collected during September 2008 utilizing a hand-held geographic placement system ( GPS ) . This appraisal was performed against the 2008 image categorization as rapid land screen transmutations have been happening throughout the peninsula. We employed a categorization attack independent of field points and designed to embrace the variableness due to satellite detector differences. Analysiss of the 2008 forest/non-forest categorization calculated a user ‘s truth and kappa coefficient of 92 % and 0.83, severally. Forest plantations were classified as woods 88 % of the clip.

Analysiss of land screen alterations were performed at multiple graduated tables ( Fig. 3 ) : ( 1 ) the PI eco-lodge, Lomas and Forestales belongingss, ( 2 ) a 1.5 kilometer buffer environing the 5 chief communities within which PI employees lived, ( 3 ) a 1.5 kilometer buffer environing PI belongings, ( 4 ) and the Pacific and interior subdivisions of the Nicoya peninsula. Temporal analysis included merely pels that were non obstructed by atmospheric issues in any survey twelvemonth. These graduated tables assessed land screen alterations in the PI belongings compared to environing countries and the full peninsula. Comparison between alteration flights at the community graduated table assessed general impacts of PI employees and non-tourism attached neighbours on the peninsula ‘s forest screen.

Socio-economic Analysiss

Socio-economic information was collected utilizing questionnaires, related informations, and formal and informal interviews. Questionnaires were applied and field visits took topographic point in September, 2008. Interviews were conducted with PI proprietors, operators, and directors, every bit good as locals involved in PI ‘s community undertakings. In-depth questionnaire-based studies were conducted with a sample of PI employees and neighbours non working at PI eco-lodge.

At the landscape degree, PI staff and neighbours were interviewed about the development of the Nicoya Peninsula. At the community graduated table, semi-structured interviews were conducted with community seniors and participants of PI supported development undertakings ( N=15 ) . We asked seniors about economic activities and cultural values that pre-date PI. We asked art group participants on the impacts the undertakings have had on their wellbeing. At the family degree research workers conducted in-depth questionnaire-based studies with family caputs, including both hubby and married woman whenever possible, for a sum of 63 families ( 45 had at least one member employed by PI and 17 non employed by PI, but may have income from tourism-related activities ) . In-depth studies included family human ecology and instruction, land usage patterns, income and disbursal beginnings, perceived touristry impacts, and cognition of cardinal constructs in ecology and ecotourism. Contingency tabular arraies, Pearson coefficients, and Wilconxon / Kruskal-Wallis Rank Sum analyses statistically compared PI employees and their neighbours. Several inquiries required quantitative reading or transmutation prior to statistical comparing, presented side by side with the consequences. Non-parametric statistics were used to avoid lopsidedness and non-normality, as many of the variables were ordinal or categorical.

At the PI graduated table, semi-structured interviews were conducted with direction on PI ‘s yesteryear, nowadays, and hereafter ; the relationship between PI and local communities and establishments in the Peninsula ; PI staff ; and environmental and economic fluxes of the eco-lodge. PI invitees took short, self-administered questionnaire-based studies on their trip, trip disbursals and touristry development in PI. A random sample of 45 employees was selected for in-depth studies, stand foring 32 % of entire employment ( N=140 ) . Employees identified their closest neighbours, if applicable, non employed by a tourism-related company. The same in-depth study was so conducted with these neighbours, supplying a control for issues of spacial auto-correlation of entree and environmental variables. The PI accounting office provided information on service and merchandise disbursals during the survey period.

Consequence

Spatial Analysiss

An addition in forest screen occurred from 1975 to 1987 ( Table 1 ) and from 1975 to 2008 for all survey graduated tables ( Fig. 4 ) . From 1975 to 1987 the full peninsula increased from 19 % to 51 % wood screen. However, from 1975 to 2008 peninsula tendencies are split ; the interior part decreased to 26 % while the Pacific seashore part decreased to 36 % wood screen. The PI eco-lodge belongings increased in forest screen from 4 % to 76 % during this same clip period, with merely a little lessening of 2 % from 1987 to 2008. The PI belongings remains the graduated table most reforested in both forest screen alteration and entire wood screen. The environing communities have experienced similar alterations in forest screen from 1975 to 1987, with all increasing from about wholly pastoral or agricultural countries in 1975 to 50-80 % wood screen by 1987. Of the five survey communities, the community of Islita, followed by Colonia del Valle, experienced the greatest re-afforestation between 1975 through 2008.

Socio-economic Surveies: Guests

In entire, 39 tourers filled out questionnaires. Demographic information was obtained but is non presented in this paper. Of relevancy to this survey, average visit to PI was 4 yearss of a entire average 9 twenty-four hours trip to Costa Rica. Almost all invitees were sing Punta Islita for the first clip, were wholly satisfied with their stay ( average 4.5/5 ) and were really likely to return ( intend 4.5/5 ) . On norm, tourists spent US $ 1815 while at PI, including travel at that place from within Costa Rica, with 55 % of tourers utilizing a tour bundle. Guests, on norm would be willing to pass an extra US $ 138 to do the trip possible and US $ 25 to back up the natural and cultural patrimony of the country. In general, out-of-door beauty and luxury were of greatest importance and met or exceeded outlooks. Two exclusions occurred in nutrient, dining, and general affordability. Of less importance were local imposts, architecture, and sustainability, although the quality of these classs exceeded outlooks. Of no importance to invitees were medical and dental services, probably as few required them during their stay, and amusement ( Table 2 ) .

Socio-economic Surveies: Employees and Neighbors

Most 175 employees of PI ( 75.9 % ) reside within the Nicoya Peninsula. And of those who reside within the Peninsula, 58.2 % reside within the 4 closest communities to PI ( Pilas de Bejuco, Islita, Corozalito, and Colonia del Valle ) ( Fig. 3 ) . Neighbor household caputs spent, on norm, twice every bit much clip on the peninsula as PI employees and were significantly older ( Table 3 ) . Neighbors received 2 old ages or less instruction so PI employees, while males received more instruction than females. Other analyses showed that PI employees spent significantly less on public-service corporations, but more on transit and diversion than non-PI employees. PI employees received an norm of 90 % of their household income from PI ( Table 4 ) .

Tourism was seen as holding positive societal, cultural and economic impacts for about all social variables for PI employees and their neighbours, with the exclusion of drug dependence, alcohol addiction, harlotry, and merchandise pricing additions in some parts of the Nicoya peninsula ( Table 5A ) . PI employees and neighbours merely differed significantly on the sensed impact of PI on hunting, with employees sing PI as making more to cut down runing so their neighbours ( Table 5B ) . In comparing of PI touristry and general touristry on the peninsula, PI was seen as holding a significantly better impact on all social variables except wellness attention entree, land monetary values, and merchandise monetary values ( Table 5C ) ; to boot, PI was perceived as cut downing alcohol addiction, drug dependence and harlotry. In comparing PI employees and their neighbours ‘ sentiments on the future desirableness of more tourers on the peninsula, no important differences were found between the two groups. In general, more tourers were desired in the hereafter and were recognized as of import beginnings of income ( Table 6 ) .

Socio-economic Surveies: Participants of Art Groups and Conservation Knowledge

Since 2002, PI eco-lodge has sponsored art activities for environing communities. Presently, PI patrons six different art groups ( fabrics, ceramics, wood carving, wood picture, impetus wood, and tapers ) with art produced by occupants exhibited and sold at the PI sponsored “ Casa Museo. ” Out of the 63 families interviewed, 16 participated in an art group. All participants indicated the chief benefit was a alteration in the manner they see life and themselves. Particularly for married adult female in this rural country, art groups provided a web of friends and flight from the day-to-day family modus operandi. With regard to preservation cognition ( cognition of environmental constructs, preservation, biodiversity and ecotourism ) between PI employees and their neighbours, the lone important difference showed a better cognition of the construct of biodiversity among PI employees.

Discussion

In rule, ecotourism has a little ecological footmark, Fosters environmental preservation, and benefits and empowers local communities ( Ceballos-Lascurain, 1987 ) . In pattern, nevertheless, the results have been mixed. For illustration, Kruger ( 2005 ) in his reappraisal of 251 ecotourism instance surveies found ecotourism did non make plenty grosss to forestall “ consumptive ” land usage ( such as forest transition to agriculture or crop ) among families. In other surveies ( Stem et Al. 2003a, 2003b ) , while big scale ecotourism near Corcovado and Piedras Blancas National Parks had the possible to offer economic benefits to local occupants that would deter forest transition to other utilizations, employment in ecotourism-related activities had small impact on family preservation attitudes or patterns. Last, excessively many visitants have led to unsustainable use and debasement to natural countries ( Kruger, 2005 ; Farrell & A ; Marion, 2001 ) . The challenge to ecotourism so, is to get the better of such issues to run into the declared aims of duty.

Spatial Analysiss

On the landscape degree, the PI belongings experienced the greatest re-afforestation and care of forest screen. From 1975 to 1987 the full peninsula experienced a rush of re-afforestation, ensuing in a 30 % addition in forest screen from 19 to 51 % , most likely from big scale forsaking of cattle operations following loss of inducements. During this clip the PI belongings increased 75 % in wood screen, from 4 to 78 % . Following 1987 the general tendency within the peninsula showed diminishing forest screen, but the PI belongings maintained its forest screen with the exclusion of PI eco-lodge development, following tendencies in other touristic countries of the Nicoya Peninsula. The other PI belongingss, Lomas and Forestales, followed similar tendencies through 1987, with the Lomas belongings taking a different flight of greater development and care of grazing land countries. This has occurred, in portion as PI hotel proprietors are non in direct control of this belongings but are portion of the development-minded advocate in charge of its usage. The environing communities besides experienced the rush of re-afforestation of the 70 ‘s and 80 ‘s due to a diminution in cowss and agribusiness ensuing in out-migration from the country in 1975 to 50-80 % wood screen by 1987. More recent occupation chances, mostly at PI or PI related, have brought people back into these communities and can be attributed to the deforestation happening in these communities in the last decennary. Of the five survey communities, Islita, followed by Colonia del Valle experienced the greatest re-afforestation between 1975 through 2008.

Socio-economic Analysiss

The chief positive economic impact was presented in the signifier of employment. This is particularly of import for the communities closer to the hotel as there are few other beginnings of employment or preparation in the country. And of employees who reside within the Peninsula, 58.2 % reside within the four closest communities to PI eco-lodge. Surveies by Langholz ( 1996 ) and Alderman ( 1992 ) of private militias in Africa and Latin America found that over 80 % of the persons employed were from communities near the modesty. Neighbor household caputs non employed by the PI eco-lodge had spent on mean twice every bit much clip on the peninsula as PI employees and were significantly older. Additionally, neighbours were found to hold received 2 old ages or less instruction so PI employees. This is non a alone determination for touristry employment. Goodwin ( 2003 ) found touristry employment in Komodo as dominated by males under 30 old ages of age. Additionally, higher instruction and capital degrees determined engagement in tourism-related industries.

PI employees received an norm of 90 % of their household income from PI. Where this presents a possible danger is if there is a diminution in the touristry industry to PI, such as the instance following the present economic recession ( 2008-09 ) . The bulk of both PI employees and neighbours stated they wanted more tourers as they were of import beginnings of income. The danger with trusting on touristry as the chief beginning of income is the exposure to boom-bust rhythms and seasonal fluctuations of the touristry market ( Epler Wood, 2002 ) . Tourism, whether ecotourism or conventional touristry, is an unstable beginning of income that is non merely capable to seasonal fluctuations, but besides to political agitation and natural catastrophes ( Jacobson & A ; Robles, 1992 ; Epler Wood, 2002 ) .

Another of import economic impact was the addition in land value, which is perceived by those who own land as a positive result. However, the addition in land value and subsequent merchandising of land to aliens is besides viewed as a negative impact by some neighbours interviewed. Merchandises pricing was besides perceived to hold increased marginally as a consequence of PI. Inflation of existent estate monetary values and consumer goods is a common impact of touristry development ( de Haas, 2003 ) . And as a consequence, sometimes merely those who participate in tourism-related activities can afford the new monetary values ; those who do non are worse off than earlier touristry development. While the addition in land monetary values has made it hard for locals to buy land in the country, it has besides been linked with an addition in re-afforestation and forest preservation, as belongingss owned by aliens are used for holiday abodes and non for active cowss or agribusiness, or bought by aliens interested in forest preservation instead than active usage.

With regard to tourism benefits, several surveies ( e.g. , Campbell, 1999 ; Gossling, 1999 ; Walpole & A ; Goodwin, 2001 ; and Wunder, 1999 ; 2000 ) define touristry benefits chiefly as economic, such as hard currency income or employment. In fact, an appraisal of the literature showed these benefits are the most common touristry ‘success ‘ indexs ( Agrawal & A ; Redford, 2006 ) . Our survey found that with PI ‘s sponsored art workshops and micro-enterprises, the economic income was a more of import benefit for younger participants. During the low season months income from art can be every bit low as nothing and increases to an mean monthly income of US $ 115 during the high season. However, ecotourism had other of import benefits within our survey. For illustration, of the 25 % of families interviewed who have a family member involved in an art group, these participants feel an betterment in their wellbeing, from doing friends, to gaining an income, to seeing themselves as productive family members. While some argue economic benefits are paramount to success, many people ‘s behaviours are driven by non-financial inducements, including community undertakings, new accomplishments, broader experiences in pull offing people and undertakings, expanded circles of contacts, etc. ( Wunder, 2000 ; Salafsky et al. , 2001 ; Stem et al. , 2003b ) . These non-economic benefits have besides been labeled community authorization ( Scheyvens, 1999 ) and societal capital ( Jones, 2005 ; Pretty & A ; Smith, 2003 ) that help beef up local establishments for resource direction. Together, economic and non-economic benefits are of import to place and Kruger ‘s ( 2005 ) reappraisal of 251 ecotourism instance surveies indicates these benefits are one of the most of import factors in ecotourism sustainability.

Tourism was seen as holding positive societal, cultural, and economic impacts for about all social variables for PI employees and their neighbours, with the exclusion of drug dependence and harlotry increasing in some parts of the Nicoya Peninsula. Tourism is frequently blamed for increasing these ‘societal ailments ‘ , such as harlotry, offense, and alcohol addiction, which is besides sometimes attributed to copying the behaviour of tourers ( de Haas, 2003 ) . PI, nevertheless, was perceived to cut down alcohol addiction, drug dependence and harlotry. Similar consequences were found in our survey of the Lapa Rios eco-lodge within the Osa Peninsula ( Almeyda et al. , 2010 ) and back up the claim that ecotourism brings more benefits than conventional touristry.

Guests sing PI were content with their stay and were willing to see once more. Although PI is renowned for its societal and environmental sustainability plans, these were non among the precedences of invitees. In fact, invitees ranked sustainability and duty and local humanistic disciplines and trades near to impersonal in importance, while puting precedence on scenic landscapes and natural beauty, good dining, friendly people and clean suites. Although ab initio out of line with the values espoused by Punta Islita, scenic landscapes, natural beauty, friendly people and personal safety are all straight affected by the societal and environmental policies, including restricting deforestation, minimising drug and intoxicant jobs, and supplying educational chances in the environing countries. Guests, in malice of ranking general affordability of PI as lower than hoped, remained willing to pay an extra US $ 138 towards the trip and US $ 25 towards natural and cultural patrimony of the country, possibly attributed to their experiences at PI.

Ecotourism endeavors are expected to supply chances for their employees to larn about biodiversity, preservation, ecology, and related subjects. Case surveies, nevertheless, show conflicting consequences. Kruger ( 2005 ) argues that environmental instruction and engagement with environing communities promotes non-consumptive usage of natural resources and greatly improves preservation. In contrast, a Wallace and Pierce survey ( 1996 ) in the Brazilian Amazon found few instances where Lodge proprietors or circuit operators contributed to environmental instruction. In add-on, Stem et Al. ( 2003a ) found that overall ; circuit operators have no important consequence in raising environmental consciousness in local communities. However, our present survey, and our old survey in Costa Rica ‘s Osa Peninsula ( Almeyda et al. , 2010 ) show different results. The recycling plans and preparations supported by PI eco-lodge have had an identifiable impact on local environmental consciousness and have contributed to the spread of preservation moralss in the country. The increased cognition of the construct of biodiversity among PI employees compared to their neighbours can be attributed to these plans and interaction with sing tourers. A recycling plan run by PI processes the eco-lodge ‘s ain recyclables plus those of Punta Islita community and anyone who brings recyclables to the aggregation centre. PI employees felt an increasing value of wildlife, preservation and preservation of resources through both experiences learned at PI and besides, possibly more significantly, by recognizing the value their natural resources had for tourers. Sing a big figure of international visitants all interested in these issues has encouraged locals to experience likewise. Although PI puts more accent on the human constituent of its societal duty program, most locals now value vegetations and zoologies more because they understand that tourers visit the part to bask nature.

Decision

This survey evaluated environmental and societal impacts of the Punta Islita eco-lodge, located on Costa Rica ‘s Nicoya peninsula. We tested the value of ecotourism, utilizing Punta Islita as a theoretical account instance survey, as a preservation and development tool, and besides tested the public-service corporation and value of Costa Rica ‘s Certification for Sustainable Ecotourism ( CST ) . Sing environmental preservation, PI has promoted forest saving. Although recent occupation chances ( both touristry and other ) have brought people back into the Peninsula and is partially linked to the deforestation happening in these communities within the last decennary, the PI eco-lodge belongings remains the graduated table most reforested in both forest screen alteration and entire wood screen, bespeaking PI is actively working to conserve forest militias.

Sing parts to local supports, PI has offered employment, educational, and empowerment chances to local occupants. PI eco-lodge employs many occupants of the Nicoya Peninsula, with the bulk from environing communities. PI has besides empowered occupants through their sponsored art workshops and has increased environmental cognition among their employees. PI eco-lodge on a whole was seen as holding positive societal, cultural and economic impacts for about all social variables for both PI employees and their neighbours. PI was perceived as cut downing alcohol addiction, drug dependence and harlotry, where conventional touristry on the Peninsula was shown to increase these ‘societal ailments ‘ . Land value and merchandise pricing were the few variables that were believed to hold increased as a consequence of touristry on the Peninsula. With regard to tourers, both PI employees and neighbours desire more tourers in the hereafter. For sing tourers, although of less importance were local imposts, architecture, and sustainability, the quality of these classs exceeded outlooks. A restriction of this survey is the deficiency of benchmarks to compare our consequences to, stemming from the dearth of surveies on eco-lodge impacts. However, we feel we went more in deepness of what Costa Rica ‘s enfranchisement strategy ( CST ) references and added an rating of forest screen alteration to better assess eco-lodge public presentation that other surveies can utilize as a usher.

Although there were countries where touristry development on the peninsula can be linked to unwanted results ( e.g. , increased drugs, offense, and harlotry ; land value and merchandise pricing additions, and increased deforestation from the return of occupants seeking employment within touristry ) , we feel that Punta Islita eco-lodge serves as an illustration of successful ecotourism for other Lodges in similar societal and environmental state of affairss and delivers the socio-economic and environmental benefits expected with a 5-leaf CST enfranchisement. However, increasing development in the immediate part, in peculiar by standard hotel operations and big condo developments by investing companies, seeks to capitalise on the part ‘s natural beauty and will ensue in a reversal of land screen tendencies if they are non accompanied by equal forest preservation schemes and stresses the importance of monitoring and measuring the impacts of adjustments tied to nature-based touristry operations.

Recognitions

The writers wish to show their grasp to the many people and organisations who made this survey possible, including Martha Honey, the employees of the Punta Islita Lodge, the many households on the Nicoya Peninsula who gave their clip freely for enlightening treatments on touristry, preservation and their lives, and the Institito Nacional de Biodiversidad de Costa Rica ( INBIO ) . We offer particular thanks to the Center for Latin American Surveies at Stanford University for their fiscal support of this undertaking.