New Law Will Protect Tourists, Ticos and the Environment.

The Costa Rican Ministry of Tourism and the National Chamber of Tourism hope to update and add to Costa Rica’s fundamental tourism laws. The current legislation, which was first approved in 1955, is considered outdated and negative for today’s tourism needs. Experts say that national tourism principles and legislation must be updated to account for current trends, development and needs.

On September 17, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, Costa Rican Minister of Tourism, presented a new law proposal to the Legislative Assembly’s Tourism Commission. The proposal aims to reform current legislation and make changes to the fundamental laws of the Costa Rica Tourism Institute, the Tourism Industry, and the Tourism Development Incentives, as well as laws governing the Maritime-Land Zone. The new laws would take care of tourist rights, be they national or international, as well as establish a list of their duties. In addition, the new laws will address sustainability, competition, and the illegality of discriminating against someone based on country of origin.

Costa Rica’s economy is partially dependent on tourism. In 2007, the country welcomed 1.93 million tourists whose $1.92 billion spending accounted for 7.5 percent of the GNP and 22 percent of exports. About 110,000 Costa Ricans are directly employed in the tourism industry and 400,000 more are indirectly employed by the same. These numbers have grown steadily since 1955, and the tourism industry today is very different than than that of more than 50 years ago. Clearly, the country is in need of strong, up-to-date tourism policies that will protect the industry’s three major concerns: Costa Ricans, visiting tourists, and the environment.

“We want to increase and improve our tourism product, reaching out the entire country to help zones that have problems. We would create an inter-institutional tourism commission, with a technical committee,” Benavides explained. Gonzalo Vargas, president of the Canatur (the National Tourism Chamber), emphasized that Costa Rica is in urgent need of modern policies that deal with any and all topics related to national tourism. Both groups cite major changes in tourism over the last 50 years, and say that current laws are simply insufficient for today’s needs.

In addition to law changes, the Ministry of Tourism plans to start at the beginning, teaching young Costa Ricans about the booming tourism industry and how it can benefit them. New school programs will look at tourism and explain what it is, what type of tourism is good, and why it is so important to protect the country’s lands and environment. Along the way, proper definitions must be made. “All groups have shown a lot of interest in modernizing the sector, with the proper standardizing, and the Tourism Register. We have to also define the matter of institutional responsibilities and regular contact.”

As Costa Rica marches forward with its budding tourism industry, laws will change and more emphasis will be placed on tourism education. The result will be an even better-functioning tourism industry that protects the environment, details tourists’ rights, and takes care of Costa Rican interests, as well.

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on September 18th, 2008