ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the methods used to promote tourism and the land use planning which is associated with tourist facility development in Costa Rica, one of several lower income countries pursuing tourism as an economic development tool. Costa Rica is a country with a fragile natural environment and a fairly young tourist industry. Further, it is a country which is currently attracting large numbers of tourists. Costa Rica’s coastal zone management law mandates that the state has responsibility over the country’s coastal zone, particularly those areas most suited for tourism. Of particular importance in the coastal zone are those areas which have value as tourist beaches. For such beaches the law requires that detailed plans be created before development can take place. The Costa Rican Tourism Institute has a program to prepare plans for each beach of tourist quality.
