Aratinga Tours is aware of the negative effects of the tourism industry on the natural environment, local, culture and socio-economic situation. Very often tourism is a source of income exploited unlimitless; natural areas disappear for large hotels and resorts, in which the big profit usually stays in the hands of multi-nationals, while locals are hardly involved. Besides that, environmental problems related to waste and waterpollution start to come to the surface. By trying to make a big profit on the short term tourism on the long term becomes impossible, since tourism depends on the natural beauty and clean air and water.
Therefore Aratinga Tours tries to adapt a type of sustainable eco-tourism in which the natural anvironment and local people are respected. This will allow future generations to also enjoy the birds of Costa Rica and the country’s other spectacular aspects of its fauna and flora. In order to do so we try as much as possible to involve local communities by:
- Avoiding the big costa rica resorts and try to work with small-scale hotels and lodges with their own unique character and atmosphere managed and owned by locals, who share our ideas about ecotourism in Costa Rica
- We always try to work with local guides as much as possible in order to stimulate the local economy and take advantage of their local knowledge and expertise.
- We always work with costarican owned and run local tour operators and transport companies
By providing acces and collecting entrance-fees from visitors Costa Rica rainforest and other natural areas are given an economical value which can be exploited in a non-destructive way. Local guides, souvenir-shops, restaurants and lodges and hotels around the protected area create work for locals, which in turn generate local support for nature conservation. Therefore we would like to encourage visitors to Costa Rica to include a visit to as much national parks and other nature preserves as possible. This is not only the best way to enjoy some of the most spectacular birds of Costa Rica, but also a way to contribute to the local and national nature conservation.
Aratinga Tours not only talk sabout nature conservation and ecotourism in Costa Rica, we also act…:
- Aratinga Tours uses part of its profits to support the Great Green Macaw project in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui.
- Aratinga Tours is an official sponser of the Asociación Ornitológica de Costa Rica: the oficial Costa Rica birding asociation.