Among average Americans, Costa Rica is known for just about one thing: tourism. It is not just a large part of country’s image, it is the only image I or anyone I know has about Costa Rica. In my research leading up to this program and throughout my stay, it has been confirmed that tourism is very significant to the country. And yet, I had never once heard of any controversies related to the tourism industry that are common among other common tourist destinations like Hawai’i, Mexico City, Venice, and so on. Tourism, even when framed as “ethical” or “responsible,” often leads to raised living prices, displacement of locals, cultural erasure, pollution, and so on. Thus, I decided to do some reflection on the role and perception of the tourism industry here in Costa Rica based on what I have experienced.

First, I tried asking locals. Students at local universities and my host family told me that most people generally respect how important tourism is to the national economy. In other words, even when people don’t like certain consequences, they acknowledge the money it makes. The biggest problem people mentioned was housing, largely because any foreigner is allowed to buy land here. Housing becomes less available to locals for three main reasons: gentrification, Airbnbs or similar rental services, or foreigners that buy a property and often only occupy it for a small part of the year.

In street art and posters I did occasionally see more distaste for tourism: phrases like “gringos out” or attacks on Airbnb, but I personally felt no malice from anyone, including locals who had no stake in the tourism industry. The only example was while distributing questionnaires are the University of Costa Rica, known as a very left-leaning university, when one student told his friends he was hesitant to support a random gringo’s “cause.” Luckily, after explaining my project and correctly answering a few global geography questions, he warmed up and I ended up talking with him and his friends for a couple hours.

To me the most interesting manifestation of tourism here is related to culture: while Costa Rica certainly has a unique, specific national culture, it is not at all what is advertised, besides the colors of the flag and a few expressions (mainly, “pura vida”). In fact, I have been to a few tourist attractions that display replicas of international tourist attractions like Egyptian ruins and Italian sculptures. All the staff spoke English, and all signs were either in Spanish and English, or, oddly enough, only English, which indicated to me that they were not just meant to be fun day trips for locals. Similarly, very few tourist-oriented restaurants offer more than one or two Costa Rican dishes. More than anything, the translated menus contain American and Italian dishes. Only if you speak Spanish and are willing to search for specific types of establishments will you actually find much Costa Rican food.

Finally, the issue of environmental protection: Costa Rica’s biggest attraction is undeniably it’s nature. Not only does it have beautiful beaches and forests, but it advertises itself as extremely sustainable and nature-friendly, easing the conscience of anyone who decides to visit. For the most part, this is true: Costa Rica is doing far better than most other countries on this front. However, tourism has also led to illegal deforestation to construct hotels, illegal wildlife trade for touristy zoos, and the degradation of over-visited habitats. For example, I visited a privately-owned park with waterfalls, trails, and a small zoo. When I told a friend at the University of Costa Rica how sad some of the animals seemed, he told me that they are supposed to be rescue animals that can’t live on their own in the wild, but many privately-owned animals are actually sourced from wildlife trafficking. My host family also told me about a recent case in the country’s supreme court about whether a new hotel development followed deforestation regulations. Luckily, that court decided the development had to stop for not following legal standards. However, many other examples slip under the radar.

Overall, I have learned that the Costa Rican tourism industry could probably be considered much more ethical and responsible than many others. That being said, it is not perfect, and good judgement is still necessary to avoid contributing to local issues like gentrification or environmental degradation.