Costa Rica won the first place in the contest
"Tourism for All" for innovation in tourism industry, thanks to the effect of the program of Sustainable Tourism Certification (CST).
For the Tourism Minister, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, this award is even more incentive to continue the efforts of the CST program and its increasing strength within the sustainable tourism development policies that the country is putting into effect.
It gives us great pleasure to be designated as an innovative country within the tourism industry and to continue growing within a sustainability framework. CST is a program that serves as an example for other countries in terms of how to make a difference and contribute to healthy development and growth of the country's industry. This acknowledgment commits us more and more to carrying out the job in the best way possible", said Benavides.
The prize was awarded after a committee evaluated the general vision, feasibility of the program's implementation, and the goal to promote sustainable and healthy tourism.
It was also indicated that the designation is given partly to stimulate efforts in the sustainable development field that allow growth in the Costa Rican industry. Furthermore, it considers that this program can be duplicated in every Latin American country.
The focus of the forum's discussion was
"Tourist and Hotel MSMEs: Present and Future". Some the 707 countries that signed on were: the United States, Argentina, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, Spain, and Costa Rica, among others.
The CST goals are to categorize and differentiate tourist businesses that operate toward a model of sustainability regarding the handling of natural, cultural, and social resources. Four key areas will be evaluated: the physical-biological environment; plant service; client service management; and the socio-economical environment.
A few years ago, the CST program, created by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) in 1999, had been acknowledged by the World tour operators and hotels, which operate within the framework. It is hoped that the first few car rental businesses will soon get on board.
Ecotourism and Nature 
