Costa Rica
Launches Advertising Campaign as a Leader in Sustainable Tourism
Advertising Campaign to Build on
Natural Image of Costa Rica
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Costa Rica, a country that
has emerged as a leader in sustainable tourism, is the first and only country
in the world to implement the Certification for Sustainable Tourism program
(CST). The Costa Rica Tourist Board (ICT), the governmental institution in
charge of tourism activity in Costa Rica, is promoting the CST brand by
launching an innovative advertising campaign that not only integrates Costa
Rica as a booming tourist destination but its continuous efforts to be
renowned as a country that protects their natural resources and its people.
The CST is an international government/private sector program, originated
in Costa Rica with the participation of world renowned international and
interdisciplinary experts, aimed at improving the method in which Costa Rica's
natural and social resources are utilized, motivating local communities to
participate in the promotion of local tourism in a responsible way. "The CST
is an excellent tool to assist in the growth of the country's tourism sector
and at the same time will motivate tourism and industry executives to increase
their usage of environmentally safe resources, resulting in financial and
environmental savings," said Ruben Pacheco, Costa Rica's Minister of Tourism.
The advertising campaign includes the CST logo, an artistic rendering of
half a face and half a leaf, which will serve as a symbol of distinction for
Costa Rica, a country that is continuously working to satisfy the needs of
today's society without sacrificing the resources necessary for fulfilling the
needs of future generations.
This forward thinking will be a great asset to Costa Rica's development as
a stable and bountiful country. At the national level, CST represents a new
form of competition; a new way to differentiate Costa Rica's tourist industry
with respect to their competitors, and one which enhances tourism products
that show sustainability, therefore opening new possibilities for
international promotion.
Bary Roberts, who directed the process of creation of the CST and is
presently Marketing Advisor to the Minister of Tourism, summed it up well when
he stated, "Tourism in the 21st century will be sustainable in Costa Rica or
it simply won't be. The Certification for Sustainable Tourism program will
reinforce Costa Rica's position as a leader in ecological tourism, and its
reputation for preserving and enjoying the natural and social environment
while positively contributing to the quality of life of Costa Ricans."
Using the CST as an incentive will allow Costa Rica's government to limit
the usage of natural, social, and cultural resources in such ways that they
could negatively contribute to the destruction of natural and economic
activities. In order to grow as a country, regulations must be set in place to
limit the exploitation of the valuable resources necessary to meet the
population's current needs, such as food, housing, health, and employment. The
growing demand for recyclable and reusable products, water and energy-saving
devices, and better systems of information management, among others, will be
the driving force behind the development of environmentally friendly products
and services.
What is the CST?
The CST is defined as the balanced interaction of three basic factors
within the tourism industry: proper stewardship and regeneration of our
natural and cultural resources; improvement of the quality of life of local
communities; and economic success that can contribute to other programs of
national development.
SOURCE Costa Rica Tourist Board
Web Site: http://www.tourism-costarica.com/
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