The Costa Rican Tourism Board ( es, Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) is the government agency responsible for promoting
sustainable
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...
in Costa Rica. Originally the agency was created by decree in 1931 as the National Tourism Board, and by a law approved on 9 August 1955, the agency became the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT).
The Tourism Board is responsible for granting the fiscal incentives available in the country since 1985 for tourism development. These incentives consist mainly of tax exemptions for companies providing hotel services,
air transport
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...
,
car rental
A car rental, hire car or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time to the public, generally ranging from a few hours to a few weeks. It is often organized with numerous local branches (which allow a user to ...
,
gastronomy
Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...
services,
travel agencies
A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides travel and tourism-related services to the general public on behalf of accommodation or travel suppliers to offer different kinds of travelling packages for each destinatio ...
, and other tourism related services.
The agency introduced in 1997 a voluntary
Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program
Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
(known as CST) was introduced in order to turn "''the concept of sustainability into something real"'' by ''"improving the way in which the natural and social resources are utilized, to motivate the active participation of the local communities, and to support the competitiveness of the business sector.''
The program was aimed for all types of businesses in the tourism industry, but it began only with lodging providers. By 2007, a total of 108 parameters are considered for the CST evaluation.
See also
*
Economy of Costa Rica
The economy of Costa Rica has been very stable for some years now,
with continuing growth in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and moderate inflation, though with a high unemployment rate: 11.49% in 2019. Costa Rica's economy emerged from rece ...
*
Tourism in Costa Rica
Tourism in Costa Rica has been one of the fastest growing economic sectors of the country and by 1995 became the largest foreign exchange earner. Since 1999, tourism has earned more foreign exchange than bananas, pineapples and coffee exports com ...
References
External links
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Visit Costa Rica - Costa Rica Tourism
Institutions of Costa Rica
Tourism agencies
Tourism in Costa Rica
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