Memberships

What is Sustainability? Characteristics and conditions in which the necessities of the current local population can be satisfied without compromising future generations.

Touristic Sustainability Certificate (TSC): it is a program that looks for the categorization and certification of touristic companies according to the level in which their operations can be near a sustainability model. This program is granted by the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (CIT) to hotels and travel agencies. The TSC establishes a scale of 5 levels, represented by leaves and each one represents the relative position of the company in terms of sustainability. For these four fundamental aspects are evaluated.

1. Physical-biological parameters. Evaluates the interaction between the company and environment, interesting policy implementation and sustainability programs, environmental protection, and others.

2. Infrastructure and services. Evaluate aspects of the systems and internal processes of the company, mainly of waste management and cleaner technologies for saving water and electricity.

3. External clients. Evaluate the actions taken by the hotel management to invite the customer to understand and participate in the implementation of sustainability policies of the company.

4. Socio-economic environment. Evaluate the identification and establishment of interaction with communities, analyzing the degree to which tourism businesses respond to the growth and development of the region through job creation or gains for the community. .

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ARA TOURS applies Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children and Adolescents from Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism in Costa Rica.
The Code of Conduct Project is an initiative of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), ECPAT International and UNICEF. Developed by countries of origin as well as tourist destinations, it seeks the participation and commitment of the tourism industry to discourage and penalize the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents associated with travel and tourism.
The ratification and application of the Code of Conduct confirms our firm policy of zero tolerance in order to protect children and adolescents from commercial sexual exploitation. We denounce services that promote, facilitate or tolerate it.
The Code of Conduct is a Project of the Tourism Industry implemented by the Paniamor Foundation in conjunction with the Costa Rican Association of Operators (ACOT), the Costa Rican Association of Professionals in Tourism (ACOPROT) and World Vision Costa Rica and sponsored by Fundecooperación and Save the Children Sweden.

The ICT has an ongoing process of organizational change, searching to reinforce the processes performed up to date by the institution; but more importantly, it is carrying out a series of proposals on new functions and processes that the institute should undertake in order to make Costa Rican Tourism industry more competitive, so that it keeps its share of the international market.
The main changes center around: strengthening of the processes of formulation and implementation of planning for tourism development, attraction and assessment of investors, development of quality and competitiveness systems, development of marketing in an integral way, tourist attention, generation of information for decision-making, reinforcement of processes for improving administration (comptrollership services, income, administrative analysis, among others.

Costa Rica’s National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR) was founded in 1974 as a non-profit organization, with the main purpose of integrating the private tourism initiative.
CANATUR is the leading entity of Costa Rican business organizations that brings together the highest hierarchy of the chambers and associations of the country’s private tourism sector, whose members represent the national tourism industry. Thus, CANATUR represents the entire Costa Rican business sector, both consolidated and united, reason for which it is one of the organizations of the civil society with greatest prominence within the national arena.

	The Costa Rican Tour Operators Association (ACOT) is a private, non-lucrative entity, constituted by the highest qualified tour operators in the country. It is conformed by forty-eight associated companies, a seven-member Board of Directors and a fiscal. Since its beginnings in 1989, ACOT’s objective has been the promotion and development of tour operators’ activities;

Learn more about Grupo Futuropa, an organization specialized in promoting Costa Rica as a tourism destination in Europe. The Grupo Futuropa members know about the needs and expectations of European travelers visiting Costa Rica. They are dedicated to providing information in various languages, maintaining a high standard of quality and operating their companies by the rules of fair play - with both tourists and business partners. Grupo Futuropa is also actively supporting the implementation of sustainable tourism practices among its members.