Sustainable Tourism at Small Distinctive Hotels

Sustainability is defined by the Costa Rican National Board for Tourism (ICT) as a “balanced interaction between the use of our natural and cultural resources, the improvement of the quality of life among local communities,

and the economic success of the industry, which also contributes to national development (…)”

At Small Distinctive Hotels we are aware of the fact that we depend on our social and natural environment as much as it depends on us. This awareness is reflected not only in the sustainability projects supported by Small Distinctive Hotels, but also in the numerous sustainability activities undertaken by our members.

Projects supported by the Small Distinctive Hotels Group  
· Casa Luz
· Proparques
· Piensa en Arte 

Moreover, all of our hotels are either in the process of being certified by the renowned national Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (CST) or have already been awarded the CST certification. In fact, Arenas del Mar is one of the rare hotels in Costa Rica which have been awarded the highest possible certification level, which consists of five “leaves”.

Tourism provides a unique opportunity not only for relaxation or adventure, but also for growth. Learning about responsible travel can open one's eyes and make us more aware of the deeper levels of nature, and incorporate these new behaviors upon returning home. We actively encourage this learning process by providing information on
resonsible traveling on our website, as well as how to apply this newly learned information back home. For more information about sustainable tourism at Small Distinctive Hotels, please visit the sustainable tourism section on our website.

Please stay tuned for part two of this sustainable tourism series, where we will be introducing the specific activities undertaken by each of SDH’s member hotels.