Lava Tours Epic Mountain Biking Supports Costa Rica's Biodiversity
Lava Tours, Costa Rica’s premier mountain biking tour operator, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Association for the Conservation of the Mono Tití (ASCOMOTI) to fund their environmental conservation and educational programs in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific.

“We are proud to announce this new partnership that will allow Lava Tours and our clients to positively contribute to the preservation of Costa Rica’s biodiversity,” said Carlos Cardona, President of Lava Tours.

“Simply following baseline environmental standards, such as minimizing our footprint and recycling office waste, is not enough. Today’s responsible companies should go farther to maximize the positive impact of our operations,” he added.

Lava Tours has designated La Vuelta Sur, one of its eight-day vacations, as the flagship tour where a percentage of total sales will be used to match passenger donations.

Approximately $100 per passenger per trip will be donated to ASCOMOTI to support their environmental work.

“We are very pleased and excited about our relationship with Lava Tours,” commented Matthew Cook, ASCOMOTI’s Director.

“It sets a very interesting precedent for other tourism companies. As they grow taking advantage of Costa Rica’s natural riches, so too should their environmental commitment increase.”

Lava Tours operates mountain biking and adventure tours all over Costa Rica for all skill levels. The trips highlight the country’s magnificent scenery, high biodiversity, welcoming people and challenging terrain.



Tourism Financing Biodiversity Conservation
The Association for the Conservation of the Mono Tití (ASCOMOTI) is a new kind of conservation organization. The membership of ASCOMOTI is composed of concerned local business and property owners who firmly believe that investing in biodiversity conservation should be a priority for every responsible business whose current and future success depends on the protection of Costa Rica's unique and beautiful natural areas.

Through the dues paid by its member businesses, the donations from tourists who want to help protect the beautiful areas they enjoy visiting, and the efforts of our corps of international volunteers, ASCOMOTI is working to protect biologically diverse natural areas in Costa Rica's Central Pacific.

The Costa Rican government is on the forefront of developing markets for the environmental services provided by landowners who conserve forest on their land. ASCOMOTI is following the government's lead by providing a mechanism through which tourism businesses can negotiate directly with local landowners to conserve or regenerate natural ecosystems. The protection of biodiversity is an important environmental service to tourism in Costa Rica and ASCOMOTI allows tourism businesses to help landowners in the Central Pacific region to provide that service.