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| Home| Hotels| About SDH| Costa Rica| Romantic Escapes| Sustainability| Family Vacations| Contact Us |
Sustainable tourism gurus explore Costa Rica to discover practices that can easily be implemented by the rest of the world
San Jose, Costa Rica - December 16, 2009 - Costa Rica is proud to announce that it will be the host country for the upcoming Save My Planet green show on ABC Television station's new Live Well HD Network. Save My Planet, hosted by Stephen Brooks, is slated to begin airingon January 11, 2010, and will set out to explore the green sustainability practices that have made Costa Rica the leader in environmental initiatives that it is today.
“During these much needed environmentally and socially-conscious times, being sustainable must go beyond the standards of buying locally, choosing organic and recycling,” said Brooks. “These practices must become a lifestyle that an individual carries out and truly believes in. This is what the Costa Rican society does and what they demonstrate through their cultural and environmental preservation.”
Brooks, who grew up in Miami, has called Costa Rica his home since 1995 when he moved to Punta Mona, Costa Rica. Not only is he passionate about his beliefs, but has demonstrated them through his actions. In 1997, Brooks founded the Punta Mona Center for Sustainability and Education, allowing people the opportunity to learn about the power that food has in our lives.
In 2003, Brooks brought these ideals to life when he created the “Conscious Goods Caravan” which featured several buses traveling from San Francisco, California to Costa Rica along the Pan-American Highway. Through the use of alternative fuels, he and his team promoted sustainable practices to millions along the way in the United States, Mexico and Central America.
As the host of Save My Planet, Brooks will highlight some of Costa Rica’s most successful endeavors as well as other projects from around the world. Most importantly, viewers will get a glimpse of some of the most amazing features of Costa Rica such as the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the most outstanding wildlife sanctuaries on Earth which protects more than 400 species of birds and demonstrates the lasting effects of preservation on local communities, land and species.
Save My Planet is being developed by AnswersMedia, a Chicago-based company specializing in broadcast TV and interactive production. “Costa Rica was chosen as the host country for the kick-off of the Save My Planet series for its successful implementation of sustainable development projects throughout the country,” said Matthew Palm, Executive Producer for AnswersMedia. “The amount of beautiful natural scenery found all around, paired with the country’s stories of conservation of their culture and environment makes this destination the perfect location to film spectacular pieces that illustrate the results of their hard work and dedication to being sustainable,” he added.
Throughout the season, viewers will also get a peek into what it takes to produce renewable energy and the benefit of doing so when they get to visit Costa Rica’s Arenal Dam and the operations center where the country’s hydroelectricity gets produced. To date, Costa Rica produces 93 percent of its energy from renewable resources including hydroelectricity, geothermal and wind power.
“We are excited to be sharing our accomplishments and best practices with the viewers of such high quality programs like Save My Planet,” said Maria Amalia Revelo, Deputy Manager and Marketing Director for the Costa Rica Tourist Board. “These days it is imperative to share best practices and make these initiatives accessible to others so that we can begin to develop a global platform for sustainable business models.”
Save My Planet’s first season will be centered on sustainable projects in Costa Rica that have been implemented by hotels and tour operators of the country’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program. The CST program was established by the Costa Rica Tourist Board to reduce the impact that the booming tourism industry would have on the environment, its population and its culture. After thirteen years and 131 certified hotels and tour operators, the CST program is regarded as the strictest and most effective model of sustainable tourism in Latin America. Additionally, it has garnered critical acclaim from industry leaders and organizations worldwide.
Costa Rica first initiated environmental efforts in 1977 by declaring 25 percent of the country’s territory as protected areas, an unprecedented move by any country at the time. Today, this area has increased to 26 percent and includes 29 national parks and various wildlife, nature reserves and marine conservation areas.
More importantly, the country has been able to successfully build its tourism industry while still maintaining its status as one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth. Programs like the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), ensure that the modern development of the country does not erase the rich heritage of its past while offering visitors the opportunity to experience some the Earth’s best treasures.
All of these efforts have resulted in a remarkable amount of recognition for the country’s and the industry’s staggering achievements at the environmental and social level. Among them is the Environmental Performance Indicator developed by Yale University and Columbia University which ranked Costa Rica as the cleanest country in the Americas. Additionally, for the first time ever, the Natural Resources Defense Council honored an entire country with its Natural Biogem Award for its commitment to protecting the more than 500,000 species of flora and fauna that call Costa Rica their home.
This, along with Costa Rica’s culture, history and philosophy of conserving natural resources and its heritage, give a perfect explanation as to why this country is the ideal backdrop for a program that will showcase environmental principles and social consciousness.
Save My Planet will debut in San Francisco, Chicago, Fresno, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, Toledo, Flint and Raleigh. Check your local listings for details, or go to www.livewellhd.com to watch online.
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About Costa Rica
Costa Rica is located in Central America, nestled between Nicaragua and Panama, and bordered on the east by the Caribbean Sea and the west by the Pacific Ocean. This small country represents only .05 percent of the planet’s surface and it shelters almost 5 percent of the existing world’s biodiversity. It has given priority to the conservation of its natural resources, protecting 26 percent of its national territory through the creation of National Parks and other natural areas. The country also offers world-class eco-tourism and adventure travel. The options are unlimited for any discriminating traveler: horseback riding on a secluded beach; hiking through the lush whispering greenery of a rainforest; having an exhilarating experience on a white-water rafting trip, observing the tropical forests from a canopy tour; surfing the blue waves of either coast; experiencing a quite, close encounter with different species of birds and wildlife; and enjoying the diverse culture and hospitality of the Ticos.
About the Costa Rica Tourist Board
The Costa Rica Tourist Board, created in 1955, is an autonomous institution of the State, responsible for regulating the tourism activity in Costa Rica and promoting Costa Rica’s tourism attractions and destinations both at a national and international level. The Costa Rica Tourist Board creates tourism norms, regulations, incentives and grants the tourist declaratory for Costa Rica’s hotels, travel agencies, rental cars and other tourism organization and service provider.
For general travel or tourism information about Costa Rica, contact the Costa Rica Tourist Board directly at 1-866-267-8274 or visit their web site at www.visitcostarica.com.
FOR PRESS ONLY: For press inquiries, please contact 1-888-600-6806 or e-mail:
VisitCostaRicaPress@bm.com
About AnswersMedia
AnswersMedia is an advanced media and technology company specializing in the design, production, management, and publishing of interactive, HD video experiences across multiple platforms. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, AnswersMedia is comprised of television production, corporate media services, syndication activities, and AnswersTV.com, with a targeted focus on interactive communications.
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| Costa Rica Tourism Board • Costarican Hotel Association's • Certification for Sustainable Tourism | Design by Into-Designs® |
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