Sustainable Eco-Tourism in Costa Rica: What Does It Really Mean?

In this episode, we sit down with Bary Roberts, widely known as the "Godfather of Eco-Tourism" in Costa Rica. Roberts coined the term eco-tourism in 1977 while working to protect Costa Rica from mass tourism's negative impacts. Since then, this concept has become standard worldwide in tourism discussions.

Roberts shares his unique insights into how Costa Rica became a world leader in environmentally friendly travel. He discusses the evolution of tourism models over time and the problem of "greenwashing:" when companies falsely claim to be environmentally responsible.

As we explore the challenges of balancing tourism growth with environmental protection, Roberts reflects on Costa Rica's unique Pura Vida culture and how it creates meaningful experiences for visitors. If you’re interested in sustainable travel practices, nature and wildlife, or simply planning a visit to Costa Rica, this conversation offers valuable perspective from someone who helped shape the movement from its very beginning.

Bary Roberts shares his remarkable journey that led to his role in developing Costa Rica as a leader in sustainable travel. This innovative approach started as an effort to protect Costa Rica's natural environment from the harmful effects of too many tourists, which Roberts saw as a potential problem as far back as the 1970s.

Costa Rica's success comes from its incredible biodiversity (5% of the world's plant and animal species), its peaceful Pura Vida culture, and its ability to recognize and meet travelers' growing desire for meaningful, nature-based experiences. There are approximately 36,000 tourism companies throughout Costa Rica, and 90% of them are small or medium-sized family businesses. These companies play a vital role in rural and coastal communities that are often overlooked by other economic activities.

CRV: "Today, I'm excited to bring you a conversation with my friend and colleague, Bary Roberts. In Costa Rica, Bary is known as the godfather of eco-tourism, having coined the phrase in the late 70s.

For over 40 years, Bary has been instrumental in positioning Costa Rica as a green destination. We'll discuss the differences between eco-tourism, sustainable tourism, and regenerative tourism models, examining where Costa Rica stands now and where it's headed. If you're enjoying this episode, please like and subscribe to never miss future content. Now, let's chat with Bary about everything eco-tourism related.

Bary, good afternoon. How are you doing?"

Bary: "Good afternoon. It's a pleasure to be with you and your audience."

CRV: "I'm excited to discuss this topic with you. Eco-tourism and sustainable tourism are significant in Costa Rica, and our colleague Richard Bexson has called you the godfather of eco-tourism. Could you introduce yourself and explain how you've influenced eco-tourism and coined the phrase over the decades?"

Bary: "I prefer not to talk about myself, but I'll share how eco-tourism developed. I created the term in 1977 while working to protect Costa Rica from mass tourism's negative impacts that I had witnessed in Spain.

I consulted the UN Under Secretary for Environmental Affairs when I was feeling frustrated. He asked what my company was worth, and when I gave him a figure, he immediately offered a check for 25% of that amount, saying 'This is what I think of your work.' The next day, we transferred 25% of my company, Ticala, to his company, Eco Development, which was already established in Costa Rica.

A few months later, having secured the brand for what I was promoting, I created 'eco-tourism' in his honor. It remained frustrating because nature tourism received little respect at that time, with tourism being predominantly commercially oriented.

It wasn't until 1986 that we gained backing from Canadian charter companies who began including our eco-safaris. In 1989, we established an ecology operation and created the first naturalist guide course to develop the process.

By 1994, while we were succeeding with eco-tourism financially, we recognized we weren't sufficiently including communities. President José María Figueres Olsen asked me to serve as Vice Minister of Tourism to integrate sustainability into tourism. This marked our transition toward sustainable tourism, with greater focus on community development and social aspects, creating a better balance.

Back then, Costa Rica had fewer than a million annual tourists. We all knew each other and collaborated closely. Tourism subsequently grew rapidly, with thousands of small companies emerging. Today, we have approximately 36,000 tourism companies nationwide, with 90% being micro, small, and medium enterprises.

It's worth noting that the other 10% of companies control about 90% of the tourism infrastructure investment capital, requiring us to work effectively with both segments.

What's crucial to understand is that we weren't strategic masterminds who planned all this development. Costa Rica simply recognized what travelers were seeking. We had the right place, time, and product. The eco-tourism concept expanded naturally worldwide as we responded to travelers' desires.

We possessed two key advantages: our extraordinary natural resources—5% of global biodiversity in an area the size of West Virginia—and our 'Pura Vida' concept, which has become our international brand. This represents a quality of life derived from continuous contact with nature that renews mind, spirit, and body. With no military, strong education and healthcare systems, we enjoy a high quality of life. People here aren't fearful and are generally friendly.

The Pura Vida experience is essential to our success. That's why protecting the 90% of small businesses is critical—these family operations where grandmothers cook traditional foods are where Pura Vida originates. We nurture and protect this authentic experience.

Now, we're promoting a more conscious, regenerative tourism that involves the entire community. We include communities in planning, development, and benefits, creating a positive socio-economic impact. Most tourism attractions are in rural and coastal areas, which are often overlooked politically, as larger businesses rarely invest there. Tourism provides vital economic opportunities in these regions."

CRV: "You've raised several interesting points. I'd like to understand the evolution of terminology from 'eco-tourism' to today's models, including sustainable and regenerative tourism. Could you explain these concepts, how they differ, and what eco-tourism actually means in practice?"

Bary: "Eco-tourism emerged when we established the National Park System in 1972. We began receiving groups from organizations like the Audubon Society and National Geographic, inspiring us to develop nature protection strategies and position tourism as a protector of nature.

In eco-tourism, 'eco' represents the green element—essentially nature intersecting with tourism. While we theoretically discussed three pillars—natural, economic, and social components—we never fully integrated the social aspect.

With sustainable tourism, we began thinking longer-term and implementing more strategic planning. We developed a more mature sustainability concept incorporating greater responsibility, interaction, and comprehensive perspective regarding our objectives.

I registered 'eco-tourism' as a trademark to protect Costa Rica from greenwashing—companies profiting from the concept without genuine responsibility. I maintained this trademark until 2005, when a California judge declared it too generic."

CRV: "You still had it for a couple of decades."

Bary: "Yes, which served its purpose in protecting the concept. Sustainable tourism also helped address greenwashing. However, we've oversold our sustainability achievements because we haven't truly integrated Costa Ricans' core lifestyle into tourism development.

Regenerative tourism addresses this gap by working with concepts like orange economy and circular economy, incorporating all community aspects and binding them through shared aspirations and outcomes.

Perhaps we shouldn't call it 'regenerative tourism' but rather 'sustainable tourism built on regenerative development foundations.'"

CRV: "That's an interesting perspective."

Bary: "It represents an entirely new approach. We're creating a more integrated lifestyle with better planning and incorporation.

Tourism touches every aspect of life, so it transcends being merely an industry or sector—it's a lifestyle. We're helping people understand that tourism represents a way of life where everyone benefits from its success or feels effects when it struggles. This understanding drives our regenerative focus."

CRV: "Why has Costa Rica become a global leader in this area? Was it simply because eco-tourism originated here, making evolution easier? Or were there other factors beyond geography and size?"

Bary: "While that's certainly a factor, Costa Rica has also distinguished itself through winning the Nobel Peace Prize, abolishing its military, protecting nature, and dedicating significant territory to conservation. These elements created a powerful country brand that we must safeguard. Our brand was formerly 'No Artificial Ingredients' and is now 'Essential Costa Rica'—the name changed, but core concepts remain.

We enjoy the fortunate advantage of sharing our lifestyle alongside extraordinary natural diversity, with numerous attractions accessible within short distances. This creates an appealing environment where visitors feel safe, welcome, and enjoy meaningful experiences. This sense of security has become even more important than service quality, especially post-pandemic.

Costa Rica has become ideal for recovering from isolation and the psychological, emotional, and spiritual challenges of the pandemic. We've also effectively marketed and positioned our country brand.

Interestingly, at least 70% of visitors come through word-of-mouth rather than strategic marketing. This significant percentage demonstrates that we offer the right product in the right place at the right time."

CRV: "Were you surprised by how widely 'eco-tourism' expanded globally? You mentioned the 2005 California ruling, which was nearly 20 years ago. Today, most travelers have likely heard the term. Did its widespread adoption surprise you?"

Bary: "It was indeed surprising—we never expected or planned such broad adoption.

Looking at the global context, tourism is fundamentally market-driven. There's a limit to what you can achieve by promoting specific attractions, as that approach eventually loses appeal. Sustainable growth and repeat business come only from offering personalized experiences. This is what we've developed in Costa Rica, making a tremendous difference.

The entire market has shifted in this direction. When planning travel today, you consider practical details like accommodations and transportation, but what you're truly seeking is the experience—what you'll encounter and feel during your visit.

As the world increasingly craves meaningful experiences, and as travel infrastructure and telecommunications have made information more accessible, Costa Rica has strategically positioned itself to meet these needs.

The growth has been largely organic. We can't claim extensive strategic planning, but we've responded intelligently by enhancing service quality and tailoring offerings based on travelers' origins and preferences while maintaining personalization throughout."

CRV: "That's an excellent point. Today's ease of research makes culture, connectivity, and community more important than simply staying at an all-inclusive resort without experiencing the country."

Bary: "This is precisely what distinguishes Costa Rica. The natural features we have exist elsewhere. When visiting Brazil, I would ask how long it takes to explore the Amazon—they'd say two weeks, plus two weeks for beaches and two more for other attractions. I'd respond, 'Come to Costa Rica for one week, and I'll show you all of Brazil.'

We offer remarkable variety, but many destinations compete with us on natural attractions—places in Asia, Central America, South America, and Africa. What makes the difference is how all aspects of life integrate into the visitor experience.

This cannot be replicated. Costa Rica has a unique brand that nobody else can duplicate because of our distinctive culture and character."

CRV: "That cultural distinction contributes significantly to the 'pura vida' spirit. What role do local businesses play in promoting sustainable tourism in Costa Rica? And how does that benefit local communities beyond just environmental protection?"

Bary: "This remains an ongoing process requiring significant work. To be candid, most companies weren't initially motivated by altruism. As demand for eco-tourism and sustainable tourism grew, they recognized a profitable market niche.

However, we've made progress educating people about the importance of investing in national parks and protected areas for conservation and maintenance. These areas need funding to sustain themselves, which they often lack from public sources. Tourism has become nature's strongest ally in Costa Rica by providing primary funding for conservation.

Companies are developing greater responsibility as they see increasing market demand for sustainable practices. We're responding to these pressures, creating a continuously evolving story where we develop new sustainability approaches while visitors demand even more sustainable practices.

This creates a mutually beneficial cycle serving both the country and our visitors."

CRV: "I completely agree. What are the principal challenges in balancing tourism growth with environmental conservation?"

Bary: "Environmental conservation is actually one of my lesser concerns because our tourism stakeholders recognize that nature is our primary attraction. We must protect it and expand access to natural areas to attract visitors.

Our main challenge lies in our relationship with the public sector. Different ministries have varying policies and understandings about tourism, rarely analyzing how their decisions affect the industry. For example, when the Transportation Minister repairs a road, does this decision consider access to tourist destinations, or is it based on other priorities like agricultural needs? While I support infrastructure improvements for all sectors, tourism generates most of our foreign exchange and employment, so it deserves higher priority.

Currently, we face serious problems due to government monetary policies that have devalued the dollar by 30% against our currency. This means tourists now pay 30% more in dollars for the same services compared to last year, not accounting for rising costs. This creates significant cash flow problems for our companies—most businesses don't fail due to insufficient assets but due to liquidity issues.

Security is another critical concern. Without a secure destination, you simply don't have a viable tourism product. We need better coordination between the public and private sectors.

Education also presents challenges—are we teaching enough English and other languages? Are we providing adequate technology training? These skills support quality tourism services."

CRV: "Important points. This podcast will air around May 2024, and currently the exchange rate issue significantly affects many local businesses and communities working in tourism. When tourists visited Costa Rica previously, their dollar was worth 30% more, but this dramatic drop happened quickly with immediate impact. How can policymakers and stakeholders collaborate more effectively, given your experience with numerous governments?"

Bary: "We've worked with all administrations as an integral part of the country's development. We must proceed hand-in-hand with the public sector, which we've managed successfully until recently.

This is why we're advocating for a National Tourism Policy law that would require all government entities receiving public funding to include tourism objectives in their strategic planning. It would formally declare tourism a national interest, recognizing its role as our largest foreign exchange generator and employer.

Such legislation would address many current challenges. Consider a practical example: if we experience a health crisis like dengue that the Health Ministry doesn't adequately address, we lose tourists immediately.

Of our 84 municipalities, only three have significant tourism knowledge and plans. The rest can be either our greatest allies or worst obstacles, as they control land use authorizations and essential services like sanitation, electricity, and security. It's extraordinarily difficult to have so many different operational approaches without proper coordination.

This represents one of tourism's biggest growth obstacles. The concern is that we're losing competitiveness as costs rise, forcing businesses to hire fewer people while generating less income, which diminishes service quality. We must carefully manage these issues to protect our tourism industry."

CRV: "Competitiveness is indeed critical. Security problems in Mexico's Cancun area drove considerable traffic to Costa Rica, illustrating your point about security's importance. Future administrations must understand tourism's value—during the pandemic, approximately 600,000 people were directly or indirectly affected, underscoring tourism's enormous economic influence.

When discussing Costa Rica's achievements like 95-99% renewable energy, we're talking about global recognition. Maintaining this green advantage is essential to remain competitive."

Bary: "Absolutely. Another significant challenge involves organizing our many small, family-owned businesses. With so many micro-enterprises, coordinating them along a common path is difficult. Each business naturally believes their offering is superior.

Consider our market demographics: In 2019, our highest-performing year pre-pandemic, 45% of visitors came from the United States. Now that figure has jumped to 70%. Having 45% market concentration in one source already represents significant risk, but 70% creates extreme vulnerability. If the United States experiences serious economic or political problems, we suffer severely.

We need more strategic market intelligence and a global perspective to better balance our visitor sources."

CRV: "What innovations or trends do you see shaping eco-tourism, sustainable tourism, and regenerative models over the next five to ten years? Will more countries adopt similar approaches either out of necessity or recognizing their profitability?"

Bary: "Other countries will certainly increase competition, regardless of motivation. We've already seen this with eco-tourism and sustainable tourism. So far, we've maintained leadership, but preserving it requires continued effort.

Delivering customized products tailored to each client will differentiate us from other destinations. This presents challenges, as most businesses standardize offerings for cost efficiency, but standardization doesn't necessarily enhance visitor experiences as needed.

Costa Rica must focus on creating meaningful experiences while maintaining high service standards. If we accomplish this, we'll maintain leadership because we're blessed with beautiful natural environments and wonderful people in a pleasant atmosphere.

We'll certainly face growing competition, but our inherent advantages position us well to maintain our leadership role."

CRV: "I agree completely. The innovation we've seen over the past 10-20 years among small businesses and hotels has been remarkable, from protecting the environment to highlighting these efforts to visitors. Even larger hotels implement smaller sustainable practices—reducing air conditioning, eliminating plastic, and implementing recycling. How can individuals support sustainable tourism growth in Costa Rica and abroad, especially when impact isn't immediately visible?"

Bary: "I'd question whether the impact is truly invisible. Experiencing sustainable tourism creates a transformative event in our lives with immediate effect. This inspires us to share our experiences, which is perhaps the best contribution visitors can make—telling others about Costa Rica and encouraging more visits maintains tourist flow and keeps the entire ecosystem functioning.

We also need companies creating opportunities for meaningful community interaction. These experiences can be eye-opening. Many young American visitors don't realize milk comes from cows—they think it comes from cartons."

CRV: "It's truly revealing when they visit farms."

Bary: "Most Americans associate rain with cold weather. They don't expect walking in a tropical forest during rainfall to feel like a warm, pleasant shower. Costa Rica's overwhelming natural beauty creates transformative experiences that visitors naturally share through photographs, videos, and social media.

This sharing represents their best contribution because it places pressure on the global tourism industry. When others see Costa Rica's success with sustainable approaches, they want to replicate it. That's wonderful—I hope more destinations adopt these practices because the world needs to change its mentality toward sustainability.

While I'm proud of Costa Rica's leadership role, sharing these principles internationally is essential."

CRV: "Before we conclude, one final question: Is there an obscure sustainable practice you personally follow when traveling that might surprise our listeners?"

Bary: "For me, it's talking with people and understanding their perspectives. Marketing claims can be deceptive, like those bathroom signs about towel reuse. When I speak with housekeeping staff about these practices, genuine sustainability becomes evident when they respond enthusiastically: 'We're happy about this because we use less soap and water,' rather than just 'That's what management tells us to say.'

My interactions with people serve as my best gauge for determining whether sustainability has truly taken root. When traveling in Costa Rica, I continuously question everyone I encounter—waiters often wonder why I'm asking these things. But this approach provides valuable insight into whether sustainability is being taken seriously or merely used as marketing."

CRV: "The power of conversation and word-of-mouth is indeed far-reaching. Bary, thank you for this wonderful discussion."

Bary: "The pleasure is mine. I appreciate you taking time to share these ideas. This kind of dialogue is exactly what we need—encouraging more people to think appropriately so we can all enjoy a better world. Thank you for this opportunity."