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Sustainable Tourism around Ecosystem Services: Application to a Case in Costa Rica Using Multi-Criteria Methods

Author

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  • Juan Diego Araya

    (Silvanet Research Group, E.T.S.I. Montes, Forestal y Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
    Sede Regional del Sur, Universidad de Costa Rica, Golfito 60701, Costa Rica)

  • Ana Hernando

    (Silvanet Research Group, E.T.S.I. Montes, Forestal y Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain)

  • Rosario Tejera

    (Silvanet Research Group, E.T.S.I. Montes, Forestal y Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain)

  • Javier Velázquez

    (Faculty of Science and Arts, Catholic University of Avila, Calle de los Canteros, s/n, 05005 Avila, Spain)

Abstract

Tourism is an activity that generates important benefits; in the case of Costa Rica, it focuses its activity on natural areas, using the different ecosystem services (ES) and obtaining economic and social benefits. However, its ecological value can diminish, making it necessary to implement methods to estimate its sustainability. This paper proposes an evaluation of tourism around ES by applying the MIVES method (Value Integrated Model for Sustainability Evaluation), based on the multi-attribute utility theory, which implies that it transforms different variables into a 0 to 1 relationship, where the closer it is to 1, the more sustainable it is. For this purpose, it considered a decision tree, integrating environmental, economic, and social requirements, 6 criteria, and 13 indicators. The method was applied to two sites, Golfito and Jimenez in Costa Rica. It considered the following stages: (i) literature review and expert consultation, (ii) decision tree, (iii) assignment of weights, (iv) sustainability indexes, and (v) sensitivity analysis. The most sustainable site is Jiménez, obtaining an overall index of 0.40 compared to 0.25 for Golfito. The economic and social requirements are the best evaluated, while the environmental requirement was the worst evaluated for both sites. The proposed methodology can be extrapolated to other natural areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Diego Araya & Ana Hernando & Rosario Tejera & Javier Velázquez, 2023. "Sustainable Tourism around Ecosystem Services: Application to a Case in Costa Rica Using Multi-Criteria Methods," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:3:p:628-:d:1089979
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    1. David Boix-Cots & Francesc Pardo-Bosch & Pablo Pujadas, 2024. "Introducing the Comprehensive Value Function for Sustainability Full-Spectrum Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-14, March.

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