We always like to call Bosque a rainforest lodge, because we feel that the term “eco-lodge” is widely used by too many businesses that aren’t necessarily aware of what it means to truly dedicate themselves to conservation and protection of natural resources and cultural richness. The word “sustainable” is also becoming a buzz word, and though we strongly believe in sustainability, we think the term should be used with caution.

This is why we’re happy to share with you that the Costa Rican Tourism Board has developed a certification program in response to the lack of regulation on these widely misused words in the tourism industry. Since you are probably interested in visiting and staying in places that are conscious of the impact they have on the community and environment, this program can help you choose those places and even help make sure they comply with what they say to be!

The Certification for Sustainable Tourism program (CST) seeks to categorize and certify each tourism company according to the degree in which its operations comply with four separate standards:

Physical-biological parameters: the natural habitat
Infrastructure and services: evaluating policies and systems
External clients: education and participation of clients
Socio-economic environment: the company’s local involvement and impact

The goal of the program is to promote the balanced interaction and appropriate use of natural and cultural resources, improving the livelihoods of the local communities as well as ensuring the success of the lodge, along with all that this contributes to national development.

Bosque del Cabo is happy to support the CST and its efforts in regulating the tourism industry. For more information about this program, please see our full CST report in the library.

Although we are constantly vigilant about maintaining our sustainability and complying with the standards set by the CST guidelines, we welcome any feedback that you have. If you find any specific guidelines of the CST that we are not complying, with we would be pleased if you could inform us and we would love to buy you a drink at our bar as a thank you!