Ecotourism in Monteverde, Costa Rica has drastically altered the local economy to the detriment of monolingual spanish-speakers. Ecotourism has been promoted by both the national and local governments as an alternative to traditional agricultural activities- coffee and cattle production. Jobs in hospitality, service, and tours generally require command of English, excluding monolingual residents from higher-wage jobs that offer socioeconomic advancement. Although the Costa Rican government promotes ecotourism businesses that benefit local populations through their Certification for Sustainable Tourism, the certification review criteria do not consider the distribution equity of those benefits. Puntarenas Province draws 29.8% of Costa Rica’s tourists, and most of these visit the Children’s Eternal Rainforest and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, both located in Monteverde. Extreme popularity of Monteverde as a destination has lead to a rising cost of living and land values, adding additional strain to those employed outside of the ecotourism industry.
Improved socioeconomic conditions for monolingual residents of Monteverde can be achieved through changes to the ecotourism business climate. Costa Rica currently utilizes the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program to rate businesses in the ecotourism industry on a scale of 1 to 5 on their compliance with the mission and values of ecotourism. Companies are graded on their interactions with the surrounding natural environment, management policies and infrastructure, client interactions, and socio-economic development. CST ratings carry high value for businesses. The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) should:
