Responsible business practices meets adventure travel in Costa Rica

International conservation group Rainforest Alliance, North American tour operator Gap Adventures and the nonprofit voluntourism organization Planeterra joined forces in a new partnership to create opportunities for sustainable tourism in Costa Rica to promote adventure travel companies who actively partake in responsible business practices.

The joint partnership gives Costa Rican hotel owners committed to eco-tourism and sustainability a new way to promote their adventure travel services.

With this agreement, Gap Adventures and Planeterra join 40 other international tour operators across the globe that are now working with the Rainforest Alliance.

The two companies will each promote to their customers those Costa Rican tourism businesses that have either achieved a Tourism Sustainability Certificate awarded by ICT (the Costa Rican Tourism Board) or that are part of the Rainforest Alliance’s Sustainable Tourism program. Also, both Gap Adventures and Planeterra guarantee that at least 50% of their Costa Rican tourism businesses are actively working toward sustainability goals.

“This agreement with Gap Adventures and Planeterra will have a major impact, as Gap Adventures is considered to be the largest independent adventure travel company in the world,” said Cristina Suhr, Marketing Manager for the Rainforest Alliance. “It will help us increase the number of travelers who will become aware of Costa Rica’s conservation efforts. It will also increase business opportunities for those hotels that are truly committed to achieving sustainability.”

Also, as an additional part of the agreement, the Rainforest Alliance will periodically organize research trips to Costa Rica for trip development representatives from Gap Adventures and Planeterra so that they can familiarize themselves with new destinations and businesses that might become part of future travel packages and community voluntourism projects the companies offer.

Rainforest Alliance will also provide the tour operators with contacts for all of its colleagues in Costa Rica who have signed commitments to sustainability as well as a list of certified tourism businesses or those that are implementing good sustainable management practices.

“As we continue to grow, it is increasingly important to work with the Rainforest Alliance to keep the focus on our original goal of offering innovative ways of showing people a sustainable world,” said Bruce Poon Tip, CEO of Gap Adventures. “It is even more relevant to continuously assess how we can do things better. Working with the Rainforest Alliance is a big step in that direction.”