Residential Tourism and Socio-Ecological Conflicts in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Summary

Since the 1990s, Guanacaste Province has garnered the biggest amount of tourism and real estate investment in Costa Rica. Despite this inflow, the province continues to register very low social development indicators. Guanacaste’s development model has been based on residential tourism, rather than the traditional short-stay hotel sector. This model requires that the construction be permanent and therefore the land pressure is constant. Furthermore, located in a dry tropical climate, access to water has become a critical factor in the province. Along with strong residential tourism development, there has been a strong socio-ecological conflict in the province, particularly around water and land. The objective of the case study is: (1) to characterize the Guanacaste tourism development model, and analyze its historical evolution, from the beginning of the 1990s to the current dynamics of post-COVID-19 reactivation; and (2) to identify and characterize the main socio-ecological conflicts related to tourism in the province. The value and interest of this case study is related to the critical analysis of the impact of residential tourism as a development model. By its very nature, it brings strong pressure on water and generates significant changes in territorial dynamics. The case of Guanacaste is paradigmatic in the Latin American context.