ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by briefly reviewing the history, development, and economic impacts of ecotourism, the dominant type of tourism in Costa Rica. Unlike destinations such as Belize and a number of Caribbean islands, where cruise passenger numbers have grown to surpass and dwarf high-value stayover ecotourism arrivals, in Costa Rica, after three decades of side by side competition with cruise tourism, ecotourism remains king. This chapter discusses efforts by the Costa Rican government to use cruise tourism as a revitalization tool in Caribbean and Pacific port cities and both internal and external factors that have led to unsteady tourism growth. This chapter concludes with recommendations for Costa Rica – and other countries that prioritize stayover tourism – on how to best keep cruise tourism in the mix to maximize benefits without jeopardizing other more lucrative parts of the industry.
