Last year, the ranking of “FDI Destinations of the Future 2019/2020”, a section of the well-known and prestigious “Financial Times”, was published. In which it was announced that Costa Rica ranks second as the best destination for ecotourism investment and forest protection by foreigners. Having 6.5% of the world’s biodiversity is one of the factors that most attracts international people to own businesses or invest in this country.
The “Specialization and Tailor-made Awards” were also held, which confirm that the national territory excels in categories such as activity tourism, wildlife, hotel development and investment, sustainability, incentive tourism; among others.
Costa Rican soil is a very important attraction for foreigners to continue collaborating with the positioning of the country in factors such as ecotourism, a branch of tourism and forest protection as an important part of sustainability.
Government Incentives
The large-scale exploitation of forests for different uses such as urbanization, the sale of tree species and the sale of timber, led to concerns about the deterioration due to deforestation. This led the Government to implement actions to control and reverse this process. In 1969, the Forestry Law No. 4465 was approved and the Dirección General Forestal (General Forestry Directorate) was created by Legislative Decree as part of the Ministry of Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG). Thus, the application of incentives to promote reforestation and forest management were proposed.
If a person has more than one hectare of reforestation, they will be able to receive an economic income for the forest conservation. The income is a payment of $18 per hectare. And it will be paid only for an environmental service that contemplates the fixation of greenhouse gases. This new payment by the Government seeks to encourage more people to invest in reforestation and forest conservation, which would increase forest cover by up to 60%.
Ecotourism: investment opportunity
Tourism is very important to Costa Rica’s economy. The industry represents almost 7% of the country’s GDP.
The country has natural beauty, moderate temperature throughout the year. In addition, its variable topography, diverse soil combinations and climatic variations make it a paradise for ecotourism; which generates more than one billion dollars a year and has contributed significantly to the growth of the local economy.
Costa Rica continues to attract more than one million visitors a year, taking advantage of the tourist spots of this small nation. This is approximately 25% of the combined total number of visitors of the seven Central American countries. Each year the number of tourists increases. According to the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), the industry provides direct and indirect employment to some 150,000 people in a nation with a population of about 5 million.
Its strategic location between the North and South American markets makes it perfect for attracting tourists from both directions. Its coasts are located on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Airlines offering direct flights in and out to several international destinations make this small but beautiful paradise convenient and accessible to many neighboring towns and make it an excellent place to do business.
This is a beautiful farm located in Turrialba, Cartago. It is dedicated to forest and nature conservation, successful ecotourism and organic agriculture. It maintains 45% of forest for conservation and 30% of secondary forest.
In the tourism area, the farm presents unique and exclusive activities. The main road of the farm takes the visitor through the forest and to the shore of the Río Pacuare, a river ranked by world rafting authorities as the number 1 in Costa Rica and among the best 10 in the world (class III and IV).
Among other tourist activities of great attraction is hiking and wildlife watching. This offers an unforgettable experience: nocturnal observation of a great variety of frogs.
It has a main house, a cabin for visitors, a house for the caretaker, bathrooms for tourists, barnyard, wine cellar, BBQ ranches, and more. It is a perfect place to invest in ecotourism and forest conservation.
This beautiful place makes people fall even more in love with what Costa Rica is.
If you would like to know more about this property, please do not hesitate to contact our Nativu consultant, Alfonso Sancho.
