Certificate of Sustainable Tourism (CST)

In the past ten years the concept of “ecotourism” and “going green” has exploded. In a country like Costa Rica, these terms are commonplace, appearing virtually everywhere.  These term have often become, unfortunately, a marketing ploy to attract a more environmentally conscious costumer but not always backed up by operational plans and commitment.


The Certificate for Sustainable Tourism - the only certification endorsed by the Costa Rican government - is based on a complete and rigorous examination system. This system awards hotels based on their sustainability achievements.


The CTS bases its judgments on four factors:

Biological-physical: How does a property impact and protect its surrounding environment?
Services and infrastructure: How do the property’s operations (product use and disposal, water and energy management etc) affect the environment?
Social and economic: What impact does the business have on local communities? How does it promote or provides education to its staff and community? How does it work with local service providers?
Clients: How does the business promote and teach responsible tourism with guests who visit?

Currently the CTS is not mandatory for all properties and businesses in Costa Rica. For this reason, the consumer that chooses to stay at hotels that are certified supports the effort of honest and truly sustainable business practices.