A new tourist market, Costa Rica - Research Paper Example

?Write a proposal about a new specific type (alternative tourism) linking it to one of the tourism destination Costa Rica, and the traditional classification provided by the WTO (world tourist organisation). Research any possible information on this group of costumers using the WTO socio-economic and trip variables. What is Alternative Tourism? The term alternative tourism is easily explained by describing the setting and activities undertaken at alternative tourist sites. Is this because alternative tourism is not an independent phenomenon but that, it was crafted out of the traditional type of tourism, commonly referred to as mass tourism. Newsome, Moore & Dowling (2002) describe alternative tourism as “the existence of small or medium companies, created by families or friends, where there is the possibility of more contact with the communities and where most of the times there is a respect for the environment.” This means that alternative tourism is best seen in the set up of a particular tourist site and the kind of activities that go on there. Alternative tourism is therefore the opposite of the traditional form of tourism which is characterized by companies are property of big transnational corporations, where one expects the same type of service and facilities all around the world (Newsome, Moore & Dowling 2002). In this form of tourism, the owners of tourist sites barely have any connection with the local community. As far as they are concerned, they are into business and the tourist is their greatest assert. So where as mass tourism is set up by big companies and corporations, alternative tourism is set up by relatively small groups of people, mostly family-owned. Again, whereas mass tourism has relatively nothing to do with the local community, alternative tourism focuses on the local community, what the community is made up of, its culture, its arts, its history and so on. As tourists around the world look for diversity in their visitations, most of them have resorted to alternative tourism for this variety. Countries around the world have therefore began giving alternative tourism a lot of attention. One of such countries is Costa Rica. Background of alternative tourism in Costa Rica In recent years, Costa Rica has embraced alternative tourism. This is seen in the springing up of several well resourced alternative tourism destinations in the country. The specialty of these tourism destinations are in the fields of native arts and crafts. These are aspects of tourism that helps in the promotion of the rich culture of the country. Barker (2010) observes that “In recent years, however, artists across the spectrum have found a new confidence and are shaking off rigid social norms, exciting for a country long dismissed as a cultural backwater.” This is to say that the promotion of art and culture as part of the unique identity of Costa Rica was relative impoverished in the country until recently when the urge to promote art and culture was taken over by alternative tourism in the country. Presently, the alternative tourism industry is taking great advantage of the country’s abundant natural resource gift. Todras-Whitehill (2009) notes that Costa Rica is “enclosed in tropical lines of latitude, with appropriate squiggles for mountains, coasts and interior borders, it's an inkblot for projecting travel fantasies. Beach lovers trace the craggy coasts and see hammocks swinging in the sunset breeze.” The tourism industry in Costa Rica has capitalized on this to promote alternative tourism in the area of culture heritage, events, showcasing beauty of nature vacation travels. Among all tourist destinations in Costa Rica, one destination site that has been hailed as the most preferred is the Manuel Antonio National Park Manuel Antonio National Park, an outstanding alternative tourism destination in Perspective Manuel Antonio National Park is in the alternative tourism business in Costa Rica. It is found in the North Puntarenas Province of Costa Rica. Manuel Antonio National Park started merely as a small village, blessed with nature’s gift of a beautiful natural park close to it. With time, attention was drawn to the beauty of the park and how the area could be developed to meet the standard of tourists in and outside the country. Manuel Antonio National Park is referred or classified as an alternative tourist site because of how development of the area all began. As in the explanation of alternative tourism, the local people took much interest the area and started developing the site by building hotels and other accommodation centers to house people who would love to come and see the beauty of nature at Manuel Antonio. Those who began developing the place fused their service with a lot of regard for the tradition and culture of the local community by displaying the rich cultural heritage of Costa Rica through music, dance, drumming and singing, acting, craftworks among others. Soon, the rather small square of land gained prominence and status as a National Park. Today, an authority in Costa Rica’s tourism industry, Visit Costa Rica.Com reports that the National Park, though only “682 hectares it epitomizes everything tourists flock to Costa Rica to see: stunning beaches, a magnificent setting with islands offshore, lush rainforest laced with a network of easy to walk trails, and wildlife galore.” What makes Manuel Antonio National Park stand out as a preferred tourist site in the world is its compliance to the World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics. The compliance cuts across socio-economic and trip variables to respect for human rights, meeting world class standard and almost all aspects of the code of ethics and operation. At the thirteenth World Tourism Organization’s General Assembly at Santiago, Chile on 27 September – 1 October 1999, a resolution to guide both tourists and tourism operators was agreed. This spans around several areas of tourism. Three paramount areas and as strongly adhered by Manuel Antonio National Park are in the areas of economic development; international understanding, peace, prosperity and universal respect for, and observance of, human rights; and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion (WTO General Assembly, 1999). As far as economic development is concerned, Manuel Antonio National Park is a leader in alternative tourism industry in Costa Rica. According to the online tourism journal ‘Go Visit Costa Rica’, as many as 150,000 visitors visit the site annually. This of course represents people who come to invest their money for the everyday running of the site. Apart from money realized through hotel bookings, visitors pay for trips to see variety of animals and explore their way through the beautiful landscape. They also engage in brisk economic activities such as buying of food, artifacts, craftworks and other items that leave lasting memories with them. As long as the promotion of international understanding, peace, prosperity and universal respect for, and observance of, human rights is concerned, Manuel Antonio National Park stands out tall. Costa Rica as a country is surrounded my many cities and countries, not far away from Manuel Antonio National Park. This makes the park a preferred choice for internationals who want to spend their vacations outside their homeland. For most tourists living in Nicaragua and Panamas and other surrounding countries, Manuel Antonio National Park has been the place to come and share and foster international peace, respect for one another and promotion of human rights. These traits can hardly be missing from the park especially as Costa Rica, a peace loving country and regarded as “the oldest democracy in Latin America with more than 100 years of political stability, has signed seven trade agreements with other Latin American countries” (http://www.tourism.co.cr/). Finally, Manuel Antonio National Park is home where fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion is observed. These characteristics are almost inherited from the very basic traditions of Costa Rica as a country. Costa Rica is country made up people of different race, religion, language and has good respect for gender rights. These show that diversity is something that exists in Costa Rica already. For this reason, it is easier for owners of the park to extend this to their customers. No matter a customer’s race, language or religion, there is an esteemed regard for these and the fundamental freedom of all people are strongly respected. These marks and more continue to make Costa Rica a giant in the alternative tourism industry and with particular emphasis to Manuel Antonio National Park. The park has served several tourists over the years and looks forward to serve even more with improved service and customer satisfactory packages. REFERENCE LIST WTO General Assembly, 1999, Global Code of Ethics for Tourism: adopted by resolution A/RES/406(XIII). Santiago, Chile, 27 September -1 October 1999 Go Visit Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio National Park, accessed 23 February 2011 from http://www.govisitcostarica.com/region/city.asp?cID=258 ETHAN Todras-Whitehill E 2009, Costa Rica Any Way you want it, New York Times, accessed 22 February 2011 from http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/travel/22CostaRica.html Welcome to Costa Rica, accessed 22 February 2011 from http://www.tourism.co.cr/ Newsome, D., Moore S.A., Dowling, R.K. (2002) Natural Area Tourism: Ecology, Impacts and Management. UK: Channel View publications Baker, C.P 2010, Arts and Culture, accessed 23 February 2011 from http://centralamerica.com/cr/moon/moart.htm Read More