ABSTRACT
Since the emergence of mass tourism in the 1950s and 1960s several developing countries have embraced tourism development as an engine for economic growth. Despite the socio-cultural problems associated with the industry and questions about the degree to which tourism promotes economic development, many governments continue to view tourism as both desirable and necessary and continue to support it through various incentive programs. Costa Rica is a country with a fragile natural environment and a fairly young tourist industry. As the number of visitors from higher income countries gradually began to increase in the early 1980s, the Costa Rican government realized that if tourism was to further expand, tourist facilities had to be improved. The law most pertinent to the regulation of coastal zone development is Law 6043. In effect since 1977, the law regulates development of the country’s coastal areas and provides the framework for Costa Rica’s coastal zone management policy.
