Ziplines vs. Beachfront Bonfire
A suspension bridge in the Costa Rican jungle canopy
Chris Turner writes about a small fresh fish market he found in Malpais, Costa Rica and how it is a truer form of sustainable tourism than the ubiquitous ziplining tours you find all over the country. He maintains that the adventure tours in CR (in addition to other “canned” tourist experiences) are a “learned behavior.” I think he’s on to something here. Sort of the “if you build it, they will come” perspective of the companies and even the tourism boards of the area.
This blog will talk about Costa Rica a lot because it’s at the forefront of various aspects of ecotourism – be that a good or bad thing. And, because we took a trip there a little over a year ago and had a lot of experiences we’d like to share.
Excerts from Turner’s “Real Sustainable Tourism in Embryo” post:
“What if – to come back to my case in point – part of the typical eco-tourist’s holiday included the chance to watch free-diving for lobsters up close, maybe even learn to do it oneself, and in any event to feast on the catch afterward at a beachfront bonfire?
“In short, what if the eco-tourism industry realized its future depended as much on the provenance of its seafood as it does on the lushness of its jungles and the speed of its ziplines? The answer would point in the direction of real sustainability, I think. And it definitely points toward the kind of place I’d go out of my way to visit again.”
This is exactly what socially conscious tourism is about: learning about, appreciating, and promoting the natural surroundings and culture of the place you go to. A beachfront bonfire in Costa Rica sounds perfect to us. Can gallo pinto be grilled?
