George Soros: The Stateless Statesman
Citation:
Jones, G., and Wendy Ying. "George Soros: The Stateless Statesman." Harvard Business School Case 321-012, August 2020. View Details|
Article Enterprise & Society Creating Ecotourism in Costa Rica, 1970–2000 |
Abstract
Between the 1970s and the 2000s, Costa Rica became established as the world’s leading ecotourism destination. This article argues that although Costa Rica benefited from biodiversity and a pleasant climate, the country’s preeminence in ecotourism requires more than a natural resource endowment explanation. While previous literature has emphasized the efforts of the government and nongovernment organizations, this article demonstrates the critical role of small entrepreneurs in the co-creation of the industry. Making extensive use of oral history, the article explores the role of tour companies in drawing affluent Western ecotourists to the country, and of the creators of ecolodges and other forms of accommodation in providing them with somewhere to stay. Clustering created positive externalities drawing new entrepreneurs into the industry who could also learn from knowledge spillovers. There were downsides to the new industry. The creation of the national image of a natural paradise enabled many businesses that were not environmentally sustainable to freeride on the green image.
Keywords: ecotourism; Entrepreneurship in emerging markets; sustainable business and innovation; tourism; Green Business; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development; History; Business History; Tourism Industry; Latin America; Costa Rica;
Citation:
Jones, G., and Andrew Spadafora. "Creating Ecotourism in Costa Rica, 1970–2000." Enterprise & Society 18, no. 1 (March 2017): 146–183.
