Tourism is now the third-largest part of our local economy, after fishing and oil palm plantations. It creates income and jobs, but it is strongly seasonal. Most visitors arrive from December through the summer. During the rest of the year, the region becomes much quieter.
Most Costa Ricans—or Ticos, as we call ourselves—do not have enough capital to build a large hotel or restaurant. For that reason, many tourism businesses in Manuel Antonio are foreign-owned.
Even so, tourism still brings real benefits. Businesses pay taxes, and hotels, restaurants, transport companies and tour operators employ local people. The challenge is to make sure these benefits are not outweighed by what happens to our land.
Tourism development has caused land prices to rise very quickly. Many local farmers decide to sell. At first, receiving a large amount of money at once feels like becoming wealthy. But money can be spent surprisingly fast.
When the money from selling the farm is gone, a family may discover that it has neither land nor work.
Land is more than an asset. It can grow food, provide employment and be passed from parents to children. Once it has been sold, rebuilding that security is extremely difficult.
A newer problem is land speculation. Some buyers do not purchase land because they want to farm it or build something useful. They hold it for a while and wait for the price to rise. Then they sell it to another buyer for more money.
Land is sometimes bought, resold at a profit and left completely empty—in a region where we could make good use of every hectare.
There are also developments that give me hope. Local entrepreneurs are investing in ecotourism, and some hotels are still owned and managed by Costa Ricans. These businesses show that tourism does not have to be controlled entirely from outside.
Visitors have influence through the places where they spend their money. A hotel that seriously protects the environment deserves support. A locally owned restaurant or guesthouse keeps more income in the community.
When you visit Manuel Antonio, look beyond the price and the view. Ask who owns the business and how it treats the surrounding nature. Staying or eating at a Tico-owned place is one practical way to help local people retain a share in their own tourism economy.