Ecotourism 4

Coming into this trip, I did not grasp the concept of eco-tourism at all. After being to all the different national parks and reserves, I understand the importance of ecotourism compared to eco-destructive tourism. I am going to make a comparison to the leaf cutter ants. The tourism industry needs to use "biomimicry" as a model. the leaf cutter ants work together to be 100% sustainable. They form a line using a scent and cut the leaves off of plants, take the leaves down underground so that they may decompose enriching the soil so that fungus may grow. They then live off this fungus for food creating their own food, and creating food for others by enriching the soil. Another part of the ants is that everyone is involved, no one is left out of the system. If tourism as a whole could be more sustainable and feed on their own (like at the Osa with the pig and the vegetable gardens), and reduce pollution to almost nothing, they would be wonders for the world.

Strides need to be made so that ecotourism, where the environment remains intact and unharmed, and tourism can become one, and the environment does not have to suffer. Costa Rica is one of the first and foremost on ecotourism but also contributes wasteful tourism as-well. We need more environmentally friendly hotels and resorts. 

Many controversies as of recent have arisen due to construction of hotels and beach resorts within the 50m protected maritime public zone. Construction has even been in protected areas. The effects of the environment to existing flora and fauna has been horrible. The dumping of construction waste  created by non-ecotourism has damaged many coral reefs and mangroves. This is just another example why ecotourism is the way to go and why it is the fastest growing tourism sector.