Costa Rica’s success as an international ecotourism
destination is owed to the teamwork and collaboration with local entrepreneurs:
“These entrepreneurs, many of them expatriate Americans, helped ensure that
formally protected areas remained sustainable parks and reserves, by providing
revenues, education in conservation to tourists, and community development and
jobs” (1). There were a couple of entrepreneurial contributions that stood out
to me for Costa Rica. First, it was their dedication towards education and
research of biodiversity. Costa Rica’s selfless priority in preserving its
resources ultimately attracted institutions from all of the world to work with
them: “Biologists from Costa Rica and the United States soon established a
series of other institutions that would educate a new generation of
conservationists, and protect forests and wildlife in more than name only” (8).
From this, I learned that you cannot have a strong start-up or business without
the preservation of value and good will. Another thing that stood out was the
local tours that were given to newcomers: “Several tour operators and private
reserve proprietors with strong environmental principles and international
connections led the way in creating the commercial market, joined by a wave of
other companies after 1985” (14). I also thought that the environmentally
conscious and internationally backgrounds of these individuals boost Costa
Rica’s branding, showcasing their people/visitors as compassionate, down to
earth, and well-rounded.
Costa Rica is primarily
known for their famous tourist locations/wildlife, and now for the great amount
of support and resources offered by entrepreneurs and the people. Equivalent to
a start-up, success does not only come from the product itself, but also comes from
the team players that have a diversity of talents and resources to offer to the
product. A main component of our research of individuals in the Silicon Valley is
their reluctance to take control over their own holistic health and their lack
of awareness of the resources around them. Stressed and overwhelmed, these
people often view self-care as a burden, waste of time, and as the last thing
on their list of priorities. Just like Costa Rica, we hope to provide a huge
plethora of viable and fun options that make our product so unique and
wonderful for our users, and we hope that ultimately, something will peak their
interests and benefit their personal growth. Ideally, each local business and
entrepreneurship on our app will be valued and contribute to our company to the
best of their ability. Thus, I am thinking about branding the application as
motivation to seize opportunities around us and to increase autonomy by taking
full control of our own health and lifestyles. The brand will also encourage
others to be on a constant look out for resources that are offered right in
front of them. It will convey a message of hopefulness, empowerment, and
willingness to try new things, as great opportunities can easily pass you by.
Question: What are some of Costa Rica's challenges with entrepreneurship?
Works Cited:
Geoffrey Gareth Jones and Andres Spadafora. "Entrepreneurs and the Co-Creation of Ecotourism in Costa Rica."
No comments:
Post a Comment