8/6/2019 Whale-Watching Revenues and Decree Regulation Awareness
in the South Pacific of Costa
1/1
Whale-watching revenues and decree regulation awareness in the
South Pacific of Costa
Rica
Andrea Montero-Cordero 1, 2 & Damin Martnez-Fernndez 2
(1)Escuela de Biologa, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060 San
Pedro, Costa Rica
(2) Fundacion KETO 1735-1002 San Jos Costa
[email protected]
AbstractExperts say that whale watching (WW) has become a
billion-dollar business around the globe. However,few
socio-economical studies have been conducted in most countries were
the scientific management ofWW and tourism remains limited. The
only socioeconomic data published for Costa Rica comes from asingle
study in 1998. Since this preliminary data was gathered, there has
not been any other research todetermine economic growth rate in the
last 10 years. The purpose of this study is to provide an update
ofthe current status of WW in Drake Bay, one of the most
WW-promoted areas on the Pacific coast ofCosta Rica. Furthermore,
we assess the awareness of a newly approved WW regulation for Costa
Rica.Socio-economic data were collected based on 80 surveys
completed by hotel and tour operatorsmanagers, tourist guides and
boat drivers from 22 businesses. Nineteen businesses offer WW
tours, 84%of them are owner operated. Seventy percent of these
operators had personnel who hadnt yet read the
WW regulation, 6 months after coming into force as a national
regulation. A total of $600,000 wasestimated in direct WW revenue,
which is 500% more than the revenues estimated in 1998 for
thisindustry in the entire country. Informal interviews with
stakeholders in other South Pacific communitiessuggest WW is worth
at least $1 million per year for the Osa Peninsula area. The
vertiginous growth ofthe WW industry in just one geographical zone
in Costa Rica could work as a platform to estimate thedimensions of
this tourist alternative throughout the country. Nevertheless, we
strongly suggest not usingthis data to extrapolate economic figures
at a national level since WW intensity and demand is notnecessarily
the same in other coastal zones.
