Abstract

HARTLEY-BALLESTERO, Marjorie  and  SUAREZ-ESPINOZA, Kerlyn. Export of tourist services: a strategic sector to face climate change in Costa Rica?. Rev. esc.adm.neg [online]. 2020, n.spe, pp.53-70.  Epub Mar 24, 2022. ISSN 0120-8160.  https://doi.org/10.21158/01208160.n0.2020.2738.

The tourism activity in Costa Rica has become one of the principal export products and a sustainable development strategy, given its close relationship with the existing environmental spaces and because of the characteristics of the territories where these services are provided. Tourism is one of the most vulnerable economic sectors to climate variation, since many destinations depend on ecological conditions - for example, sun and beach tourism or the environmental resources of a tourist destination - such as protective areas or national parks. In this context, this article seeks to highlight elements of environmental improvement that contribute to the current and future sustainability of inbound tourism services, bearing in mind that the adaptation policy to address climate change does not have explicit actions aimed at the tourism sector. The research shows it is necessary to formulate explicit public policy aimed at the adaptation and mitigation in the tourism sector, and not only for natural areas that exploit the ecosystem services offered by the biodiversity of the country. In addition, from the point of view of the circular economy, important advances have been made in some indicators related to conservation, resilience, use and consumption of water resources, public-private alliances, support networks, and others that favor the sustainability of communities and territories. This shows the strategic importance of the sector in confronting climate change and the need to incorporate more robust actions in this aim.

Keywords : tourism services; tourism activity; tourism sector; sustainable tourism services; circular economy; sustainable development; climate change.

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