Honor World Environment Day with sustainable tourism in Costa Rica

[Shannon Farley]

What is your dream for the planet?

 

Live sustainably? No unusable trash? Less food waste? Clean oceans and water sources? Trees, mountains and forests protected? Well-being of people and animals? Communities living in harmony and respect?

 

Horizontes Nature Tours in Costa Rica has the same dreams. They care about how travel and tourism affects not only their home of Costa Rica, but the entire planet.

 

On June 5 people everywhere celebrate World Environment Day 2015 (WED) with the United Nations Environment Program to raise awareness worldwide about environmental issues and call people to action.

 

This year’s theme is “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care” focusing on the main things people consume and waste: water, food, energy, and all natural resources like forests and animal products. The theme is a powerful one, because it is an opportunity for every person to take a look at how we live and how it impacts the planet – how we shop, eat, live and travel. Every person is responsible in his or her own way to care for the Earth.

 

“The well-being of humanity, the environment, and the functioning of the economy, ultimately depend upon the responsible management of the planet’s natural resources,” states the UN on the WED website. “By 2050, if current consumption and production patterns remain the same and with a rising population expected to reach 9.6 billion, we will need three planets to sustain our way of life.”

 

“Consuming with care means living within planetary boundaries to ensure a healthy future where our dreams can be realized,” says the UN. “Living sustainably is about doing more and better with less. It is about knowing that rising rates of natural resource use and the environmental impacts that occur are not a necessary by-product of economic growth.”

 

Horizontes Nature Tours promotes sustainable tourism with our staff, our travel partners and our tourist guests. Our sustainable tourism practices include:

•  Protection of national patrimony
• Positive social impact of tourism by supporting the communities we visit
• Low impact travel programs
• Work with small travel groups to minimize impact in natural areas
• Promote Costa Rica’s national parks and natural areas
• Efficient transportation
• Waste and water management
• Energy efficiency
• Tree planting program
• Recycling program

 Horizontes Nature Tours has been honored with the highest level of certification in the Sustainable Tourism Program of the Costa Rican Tourism Board. In addition we participate in the Rainforest Alliance Verified Program and the Blue Flag Ecological Program.

 

You care for our planet with how you travel when you visit Costa Rica with Horizontes Nature Tours. Design your Costa Rica vacation with Horizontes Nature Tours today.

 

Article by Shannon Farley