Structure and characteristics of community-based rural tourism in Costa Rica

Community-based rural tourism in Costa Rica is an advanced stage of ecotourism, under which tourism development is led by families and local communities, who assume responsibility for protecting and capitalising on their natural and cultural heritage. At the national level, the sector is articulated through two networks, Red Ecoturistica COOprena R.L. and Asociacion Comunitaria de Turismo Rural, who conduct support and promotion programmes aimed at member cooperatives and associations. In order to gain insight into how the sector operates, this article identifies and breaks down by type the main local community-based rural tourism associations, and, based on an analysis of over 50 cases, offers a profile of the main characteristics of current rural tourism initiatives. All of the above should enable an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms and factors that determine the success or failure of any given project.