TUI Care Foundation Scales Up Sustainable Tourism in Costa Rica

TUI Care Foundation is expanding a new sustainable tourism project in Costa Rica, strengthening its footprint in one of the world’s flagship ecotourism destinations by linking biodiversity conservation with community-based travel experiences.

New Phase Builds on Costa Rica’s Ecotourism Reputation

Publicly available information from TUI Care Foundation’s latest strategy and project portfolio indicates that Costa Rica has been identified as a priority country within its global programmes focused on forests, wildlife protection and sustainable livelihoods. The new phase of work in the Central American nation is framed as an expansion of an existing sustainable tourism project, with activities now moving from a pilot stage into broader implementation.

The initiative is understood to draw on Costa Rica’s long-standing positioning as a leader in eco and nature-based tourism, where national policies and certification systems encourage low-impact travel and conservation-focused business models. For the foundation, Costa Rica offers both a testing ground and a showcase for approaches that aim to align visitor experiences with protection of fragile habitats and community benefit.

According to published coverage on sustainable tourism in the country, tourism remains a major employer and a key contributor to gross domestic product. That context is seen as an opportunity for programmes that use the weight of the visitor economy to advance climate resilience, restore ecosystems and support small enterprises in rural destinations.

The expanded project in Costa Rica is also presented as part of a wider shift within the foundation toward impact-focused investments in tourism destinations worldwide. Rather than stand-alone conservation projects, the emphasis is increasingly on integrated models where environmental protection is tied to market access, skills development and inclusive economic growth.

From Pilot Project to Broader Destination Impact

The Costa Rica initiative builds on earlier pilot activities under the foundation’s global programmes, including schemes that support community-based tourism, upcycling and circular economy solutions, and restoration of forest landscapes in key destinations. In other regions, similar projects have moved from small trials to multi-year phases that involve a greater number of local partners and businesses; observers expect the Costa Rica project to follow a comparable trajectory.

Project documentation and strategy papers suggest that the new phase in Costa Rica is designed to scale up both geographic reach and depth of impact. This typically involves moving beyond a single community or protected area to work across a broader landscape, while also formalising partnerships with local organisations, tourism businesses and conservation groups.

In practical terms, expansion may mean more tourism experiences developed around conservation activities, such as guided nature walks, wildlife monitoring excursions or visits to restoration sites. It can also involve extending training and mentoring to a larger group of small tourism providers, helping them adopt sustainable practices and improve their access to international markets.

Observers note that this type of scaling approach reflects a broader trend in tourism philanthropy, in which foundations seek to generate measurable outcomes for biodiversity and local livelihoods rather than focusing solely on visitor education. In Costa Rica, where many communities already have experience with ecotourism, the new phase is expected to build on existing strengths while addressing remaining gaps in skills, infrastructure and market connections.

Focus on Biodiversity, Forests and Community Livelihoods

Across its global portfolio, TUI Care Foundation has placed increasing emphasis on protecting critical habitats, restoring forests and supporting wildlife conservation in tourism hotspots. Publicly available information on its forest and wildlife programmes lists Costa Rica among the countries that are eligible for support, with a focus on projects that combine habitat protection with sustainable visitor experiences.

The expanded project in Costa Rica is expected to prioritise biodiversity corridors, forested areas and sensitive ecosystems where tourism pressure and conservation needs intersect. These might include buffer zones around protected areas, community-managed forests or coastal regions where wildlife tourism is a major draw for international visitors.

Programme materials indicate that local communities are intended to play a central role, from co-designing visitor experiences to leading restoration and monitoring efforts. This model aims to ensure that income from tourism is more widely shared and that residents have a direct stake in protecting the natural assets on which their livelihoods depend.

At the same time, the project framework places attention on climate resilience and long-term stewardship. Activities such as tree planting, habitat restoration and improved land management are positioned not only as attractions for visitors but also as practical measures to protect watersheds, store carbon and stabilise local ecosystems.

Partnerships and Alignment with Global Sustainability Goals

The expansion in Costa Rica is aligned with the foundation’s wider 2030 strategic plan, which positions tourism as a driver of sustainable development and sets out thematic priorities around nature, opportunities for young people and inclusive economic growth. Documents describing this strategy highlight the importance of partnerships with local NGOs, community organisations, academic institutions and tourism operators.

In Costa Rica, those partnerships are expected to connect the project with existing national frameworks for sustainable tourism and conservation, including certification schemes and policies that promote responsible business practices. By aligning with these systems rather than creating parallel structures, the initiative aims to reinforce national standards and avoid duplication of efforts.

The Costa Rica expansion also sits within a broader pattern of collaboration between the foundation and international organisations focused on sustainable tourism and heritage protection. Recent global agreements show an increasing emphasis on using tourism to support World Heritage sites and other protected areas, suggesting that lessons from Costa Rica could inform work in comparable destinations.

Analysts point out that such partnerships are important for mobilising technical expertise, ensuring that project design reflects best practice, and enabling the sharing of data and results across countries. For a high-profile ecotourism destination like Costa Rica, this can help ensure that international attention translates into tangible benefits for conservation and communities on the ground.

What Expansion Means for Travelers and Local Businesses

For travelers, the expansion of a sustainable tourism project in Costa Rica may translate into a wider choice of experiences that explicitly support conservation and community development. These could range from visits to reforestation sites and wildlife projects to homestays and cultural tours designed and led by local residents.

Travel industry observers suggest that demand for such experiences is rising, with many visitors to Costa Rica actively seeking ways to ensure that their spending has a positive impact. Clear communication about project goals, benefits and safeguards is expected to be an important part of the new phase, helping travelers understand how their choices contribute to broader sustainability outcomes.

For local businesses, the expansion may open up new opportunities for collaboration, training and access to impact-oriented funding. Small tourism operators that commit to environmental and social standards could be better positioned to connect with international tour operators and travel brands that are incorporating sustainability criteria into their product portfolios.

As the Costa Rica project moves forward, attention from analysts and civil society groups is likely to focus on how effectively it balances tourism growth with environmental limits and local priorities. The country’s track record in ecotourism sets high expectations, and the expansion of this initiative will be closely watched as a test of how global tourism foundations can contribute to genuinely sustainable destination development.