Costa Rica: Geotourism

World Hum | Travel | New Addition to the Travel Lexicon: ‘Geotourism’: "In our ongoing quest to chronicle the comings and goings in the travel lexicon we bring you “geotourism,” a term describing travel that, in the AP’s words, “focuses on a destination’s unique culture and history and aims to have visitors help enrich those qualities.” Coined several years ago by the National Geographic Society’s Jonathan B. Tourtellot, the term hasn’t yet caught on among most travelers. But according to the AP, “it’s on the lips of travel professionals who describe it as a step beyond the better-known environmentally friendly ecotourism. While geotourism encourages treading lightly on nature, it’s also about authenticity and making a place better by visiting and spending money.”

Despite the best intentions of many travelers, few places significantly benefit from their visits, according to Leo Hickman, whose book, “The Final Call,” explores the impact of travel on the globe.

“Tourism is a very lop-sided deal in its current form whereby the buyers—us tourists—get by far a better deal than the sellers—the people living in the destinations,” he said in a recent World Hum interview. “I saw very few examples whereby the people in the destinations said t"

Labels: costa rica, travel