ABSTRACT
Containing spectacular biodiversity (commonly cited figures claim 4–5 per cent of the world's total contained in 0.035 per cent of global land mass; see Honey 2008: 160) and high rates of endemism, much of it preserved within a system of protected areas that encompasses approximately one-quarter of the nation's territory (Evans 1999), Costa Rica is widely considered ‘ecotourism's poster child’ (Honey 2008: 161). With less than five million inhabitants, the country now draws on the order of two million tourists annually. As a result, tourism in general has become big business in the country, accounting for ‘20 to 22 percent of Costa Rica's foreign exchange earnings and 7 to 8 percent of its GDP’ (Honey 2008: 163–4). While the country offers a variety of more conventional mass tourism experiences in addition to ecotourism, industry surveys suggest that at least 60 per cent of international arrivals are attracted by the national parks and other environmental amenities (Honey 2008: 164).
