The director of the Department of Parks, Colonel Pedro Candelier said at a ecotourism workshop, “Taller de Ecoturismo y Gestion Administrativo en las Areas Protegidas” sponsored by the Department of Parks and the Peace Corps of the United States, that the country can increase its revenue from ecotourism without spoiling the national parks and protected areas. He said that the time when these areas were off limits to the public or open to a select few is gone. “We are in a new era when even scientists recognize the importance of local residents participating in the preservation and management of national parks and where ecotourism is an important activity that we can regulate and exploit without violating nature,” said Alberto Rodríguez, associate director for natural resources in the Peace Corps. He said there are more than 30 protected areas in the country, most with great tourist attractions.
He said what has to be avoided is the overpopularity of a place resulting in its destruction. He said the case of the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio of Costa Rica is one where the intense use by visitors threatens the fauna and flora of the area. On the other hand, he recognized that ecotourism, an activity that is becoming more popular everyday, can be developed in a responsable manner and still generate economic growth, but it has to be handled with care. There has to be a sensible balance between the economic benefits and preservation efforts. He said that managed with that criteria, ecotourism minimizes its adverse impact on the environment and the resident communities, increases the environmental awareness of the population and maximizes local participation in the decision making process.