COOPRENA Simbiosis Tours

Overview

Description

Simbiosis Tours arose out of the National Ecotourism Network (Cooprena, R. L.), which had fourteen years of experience in the tourism sector. Our business is not just a commercial endeavor - it also explores the basic elements of social and environmental responsibility. This company is one of 23 organizations in the Costa Rican social economy that is pursuing environmentally-responsible development, using rural community-based tourism as its focal point. Simbiosis Tours also works hand in hand with initiatives that are promoting rural, cultural, and sustainable concept that are not part of the Network.

We offer country-wide cultural experiences, from visiting indigenous communities to experiencing the Costa Rican rural farmer lifestyle. We learn about different kinds of organic crops, farm work, and more. We also offer lodges and hotels at beaches and mountains that we can assure are respectful of sustainability. Finally, with Simbiosis Tours you will have unforgettable experiences according to your tastes and needs, in any part of the country.

Making a Difference

Cooprena R.L. members offer agricultural-environmental and cultural tourism as a complement to their farming activities, generating additional income to improve the quality of life in their communities. Cooprena sees conservation and the sound and sustainable use of natural resources as a pillar of their tourism activity.

This non-profit organization supports the promotion and commercialization of several community-based tourism initiatives in the nation, forming a reservations platform for more than 40 alternative tourism service providers. The company has strategic partners such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Fundecooperación, the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and others. These entities collaborate on the development of social investment projects that aim to prepare communities for participation in tourism, an important economic sector.

Cooprena R.L. is an organization that was formed with the sole objective of promoting tourism development in rural areas, converting the nation’s environmental heritage into a source of income. This will ensure that entire communities are motivated to protect wildlands and wildlife for the well-being of everyone.

Given the kind of tourism we offer, Cooprena R.L. and Simbiosis Tours became certified by the Sustainable Tourism Certification program this year with the highest rating of five leaves. This gives the company more credibility for overseeing and orienting the other initiatives it is working with to ensure that they too are aligned with development that is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable.

Getting There

Nearest international airport: San José (SJO)

Nearest local/national airport: Pavas (SYQ)

Additional Information

Files

• Simbiosis Tours: servicios y productos
• Simbiosis Tours Services & Products

Date This Information Was Provided

January 2011.

Photos courtesy of COOPRENA Simbiosis Tours, Costa Rica, for SustainableTrip.org.