Rainforest Alliance

Costa Rican Hotels Improved Sustainability with the Rainforest Alliance

Hotels working with the Rainforest Alliance to adopt environmental, social and managerial practices significantly improved their compliance with Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, according to a recent study released by the Rainforest Alliance.

In a period of 18 months, five hotels in the Sarapiquí region in northern Costa Rica increased overall compliance to 7.8 from 4.5 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being non-compliance and 10 being full compliance. Criteria cover environmental aspects such as wastewater treatment and wildlife protection, social aspects such as worker safety and community interaction, and business aspects such as profitability and quality of services.

Collectively, hotels increased compliance in all criteria categories, showing their dedication to advancing sustainability, even if they were only able to afford small improvements at first. Areas with the highest level of improvement were “Sociocultural Activities,” which could be supporting local artisans, or hiring local people; “Monitoring and Corrective Action” (monitoring water consumption, or writing hotel management policies) and “Solid Waste.”

“These hotels improved interactions with their environment, communities, guests and staff and set themselves apart in a competitive global marketplace,” said Ronald Sanabria, vice president of sustainable tourism at the Rainforest Alliance. “As a result, the Sarapiquí region is seen as a major destination for sustainable tourism.”

Hacienda Pozo Azul spent US$6,000 to implement its sustainable program, which included buying an anaerobic digester to process wastewater and organic wastes, and the small hotel has so far seen a savings of US$150 per month on reduced electricity bills alone. Other hotels included in the study were Ara Ambigua, La Quinta Country Inn, Organization for Tropical Studies-La Selva and the Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve.

The Rainforest Alliance’s sustainable tourism program provides tourism operations with dynamic workshops and seminars, training materials, technical assistance and sustainability evaluations. As part of the program’s requirements, all participating businesses are expected to demonstrate continued improved growth in their compliance ratings. There are currently over 350 tourism businesses working with the Rainforest Alliance in Latin America, and over 7,000 individuals from the public and private sector have been trained in sustainable tourism best management practices since 2000.

The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.