TUI Care Foundation scales sustainable tourism work in Costa Rica

TUI Care Foundation is strengthening its presence in Costa Rica as part of a broader drive to align tourism growth with nature protection and community development, expanding conservation projects and professional training opportunities across the Central American destination.

Building on existing conservation projects in Costa Rica

Publicly available information shows that TUI Care Foundation has been active in Costa Rica through wildlife and forest initiatives that connect nature protection with responsible travel experiences. One project, TUI Wildlife Costa Rica, focuses on safeguarding emblematic species while creating tourism products that raise awareness among visitors and generate income for local partners.

Reports indicate that this work targets endangered species such as the great green macaw and amphibians that are highly sensitive to habitat loss. By supporting local conservation organisations and protected areas, the foundation links biodiversity protection with tourism, encouraging visitors to experience nature in ways that reinforce, rather than undermine, fragile ecosystems.

The organisation’s strategic documents list Costa Rica among its priority destinations, reflecting the country’s global profile as a pioneer of eco‑tourism and sustainable destination management. That focus provides a platform for the foundation to scale up activities that combine habitat restoration, wildlife protection and visitor education.

Within this framework, TUI Care Foundation positions tourism as a tool for conservation finance. Holidaymakers are encouraged to participate in experiences that channel a portion of tourism revenues into species monitoring, habitat restoration and community-led environmental programmes.

Linking sustainable tourism to skills and professional training

The expansion in Costa Rica forms part of a wider portfolio of TUI Care Foundation programmes that use tourism to open up new prospects for young people. The foundation’s global TUI Academy initiatives, as well as its digital e‑Academy, are designed to equip disadvantaged youth with vocational skills, language training and sustainability know‑how that match labour market needs in tourism destinations.

According to programme overviews, participants typically receive a blend of classroom learning and practical experience in hotels, hospitality businesses and tourism services. The model aims to improve employability while promoting responsible tourism practices among the next generation of industry professionals.

Costa Rica’s established tourism sector, with its emphasis on environmental stewardship and quality standards, offers fertile ground for such skills‑development projects. As the foundation deepens its engagement in the country, the expectation is that more young people from local communities will be able to access structured training linked to sustainable tourism careers.

These education and training components are positioned as essential to ensuring that conservation‑focused tourism generates inclusive benefits, rather than concentrating opportunities in a narrow segment of the market. They also support the development of local expertise in areas such as guiding, nature interpretation and circular economy solutions for tourism businesses.

Supporting local entrepreneurship and circular economy models

The foundation’s recent strategic announcements highlight a stronger emphasis on entrepreneurship and impact investment in tourism. A new global initiative provides affordable loans and mentorship to small and medium‑sized tourism enterprises that demonstrate social and environmental impact, with a focus on destinations where tourism is a key economic driver.

In practice, this approach encourages locally rooted businesses to develop tourism products that minimise environmental footprints, reduce waste and create stable jobs. For Costa Rica, where many tourism operators are small or family‑run, expanded access to financing and advisory support can help scale innovations in areas such as low‑impact excursions, community‑based tourism and regenerative hospitality.

Complementing this, the foundation’s broader “Destination Zero Waste” work in other regions illustrates how tourism can support circular economy solutions. Lessons from these programmes, such as plastic reduction, recycling infrastructure and waste‑to‑value initiatives, are positioned to inform future project design in Central American destinations, including Costa Rica.

By channelling investment and expertise into local enterprises, the foundation seeks to foster a tourism ecosystem in which economic value creation is directly tied to measurable sustainability outcomes, from responsible resource use to community well‑being.

Aligning with Costa Rica’s national sustainability ambitions

Costa Rica has long promoted itself as a sustainability frontrunner, with a large share of its territory under protection and a national tourism model that emphasises low‑impact, nature‑based travel. The country’s certification schemes and destination planning frameworks are designed to incentivise operators to adopt responsible practices across energy use, waste management and community engagement.

The decision by TUI Care Foundation to expand its sustainable tourism portfolio in Costa Rica is consistent with this context. The organisation’s strategic plan explicitly connects its programmes to global goals on climate, biodiversity and decent work, seeking to align with national policies in priority destinations.

In Costa Rica, that alignment is reflected in projects that combine conservation outcomes with socio‑economic benefits for nearby communities. Efforts to restore forests, protect wildlife and train youth are positioned as contributions to the country’s broader ambitions around low‑carbon development and inclusive growth.

Observers of sustainable tourism trends note that international foundations and destination authorities increasingly look for partnerships that can demonstrate tangible results on both environmental and social indicators. The evolving portfolio of TUI Care Foundation activities in Costa Rica is framed within this results‑oriented agenda.

Part of a wider global shift in destination partnerships

The developments in Costa Rica sit within a larger shift in how global tourism organisations work with destinations. TUI Care Foundation has recently announced new collaborations with international bodies and local partners to promote sustainable tourism around cultural and natural heritage sites worldwide.

These partnerships typically involve joint efforts to design visitor experiences that respect local culture, safeguard ecosystems and strengthen the role of communities in tourism value chains. Training for guides and small businesses, along with new interpretive tools and storytelling initiatives, are core elements of this model.

In this global context, Costa Rica functions as both a beneficiary and a showcase. The country’s long‑standing reputation for sustainable tourism provides a testing ground for approaches that can later be adapted to other destinations seeking to balance visitor growth with environmental and social responsibilities.

As TUI Care Foundation expands its sustainable tourism and professional training activities in Costa Rica, the Central American nation is expected to remain a key reference point in international debates about how tourism can serve as a force for conservation, skills development and shared prosperity.