Peace Corps organization is celebrating its 50 anniversary and thanks to this event the organization opens an exhibit called “Costa Rica Through the Eyes of Volunteers”.

It is an exhibit of 22 photos took by Peace Corps volunteers that offer a glance into life in rural Costa Rica. It opened its door September 20 2011and it will be possible to visit it until October 6 2011at the Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center in Barrio Dent located in eastern San José, capital of Costa Rica. The admission is free.

These very interesting photos of Costa Rica are not just an amazing opportunity to see a different part of Costa Rica but also to have a look into the lives of the volunteers.

Currently about 130 volunteer work in Costa Rica for Peace Corps and most of them are specializing in community and rural development.

Who is Peace Corps?

The Peace Corps is an American program run by the United States Government and as well as a government agency of the same name. The program was established in 1961 and  among goals of the Peace Corps belongs  helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries.

(By Marketa Sobotkova – Marketing intern)

September 27 is World Tourism Day founded by UNWTO.

Purpose of this day is to encourage awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. This day is a celebration of tourism´s capacity, to bring the people of the world closer together and break down barriers between cultures. It is a chance to raise awareness of how tourism can foster tolerance, respect and mutual understanding. It is also an opportunity to explore how tourism can contribute to the world´s peace.

Every year UNWTO invites all people without exception to take part in the World Tourism Day celebrations in their countries or holiday destination. By this event the United Nations tries to highlight its Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) which are: To End Poverty and Hunger, Universal Education, Gender Equality, Child Health, Maternal Health, Combat HIV/AIDS, Environmental Sustainability and Global Partnership. It also tries to highlight the contribution the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.

Each time World Tourism Day is celebrated by events around the themes chosen by the UNWTO General Assembly, on the recommendation of the UNWTO Executive Council.

Tourism – Linking Cultures; theme of World Tourism Day 2011

This year’s theme is a celebration of role of tourism in linking cultures of the world through travel.

Millions of people are travelling the world each year, they have been to so many places, and they have been so exposed to other cultures like never before. In order to build blocks for a more peaceful world, it is important to foster tolerance, respect and mutual understanding between individuals and communities. Tourism can help to maintain spiritual and cultural respect among people, while creating economic opportunities to benefit disadvantaged populations.

History of this day

In Spain, September 1979 UNWTO General Assembly decided to establish World Tourism Day, beginning in 1980. This day was selected to coincide with an important milestone in world tourism. It was the anniversary of adoption of the UNWTO Statues on 27 September 1970.

What is UNWTO?

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is a United Nations agency and the leading international organization in the field of tourism. Organization´s headquarter is based in Madrid-Spain, and it serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.  UNWTO has a central and decisive role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, where it pays a particular attention to the interest of developing countries. It also compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information on international tourism. This organization represents public sector tourism bodies, from most countries in the world and the publication of its data makes possible comparisons of the flow and growth of tourism on a global scale. The official languages of UNWTO are Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

UNWTO has memberships in 154 countries, 7 territories and over 00 Affiliate Members that represent private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.

UNWTO encourages the implementation of its The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. It is a frame of reference for the responsible and sustainable development of World tourism.

Tropical Adventures works hard to keep its costs and fees as low as possible. Still, for several people it can be unclear why they have to pay for volunteer programs. I´ve heard several opinions that it is unethical and so on, therefore I consider as a must to provide a proper explanation on how  it actually works. I cannot speak for other organizations, but I can give you a perspective from our sight.

We have made several analyzes of certain impoverished areas of the country. This comprises difficult travel and meeting with untold numbers of communities and individuals. We want to know what real needs are present and how we can be of assistance. The truth is, not all communities are even ready to accept volunteer help. It was a tough job narrowing down to just a handful projects from our long list of serious needs.

We have also found that tourism in Costa Rica, the number one industry here, had many negative effects on the people in the country. As a natural by-product of many visitors spending time and money in the country, inflation has run rampant. Because wages move at a snail´s pace, Costa Ricans get priced out of homes and can´t afford basics such as food.

Therefore, from the beginning, objectives of Tropical Adventures have been threefold:

1) Convert would-be tourists from inadvertently exploiting the country to volunteers who could make long-lasting, positive and eco-friendly impacts on the country and people.

2) Provide the volunteers with life-changing, positive experiences, so instead of returning home with just vacation photos, they can return having learned much more about the world and about themselves.

3) Use the money we are able to generate to keep inside the communities we’re trying to help.

Fees of our projects are set up to cover the various necessary expenses of operating the program. These costs include for instance volunteer transportation to the place, volunteer training, food, medical insurance and support for the generous host families who open their homes to our participants. Some of the extra costs go towards our providing in-country support personnel, as well as organizing the trip itself. The costs go to the wide range of other services, such as orientation costs, assistance with planning excursions and activities, free guided tours and 24-hour-in-country emergency service.

What money is left over after these expenses are paid goes towards donations we give to keep our projects running, research, employee salaries and basic administrative costs.  Besides a few costs such as advertising that is done around the world to attract volunteers, all of the money we receive stays in Costa Rica.

Apart from all of this, majority of individuals, communities, and non-profit organizations in Costa Rica who are in most need of help do not speak English. So if a person has an interest in helping those in need here, they would have problems to identify who actually needs help and what kind of help they need, communicate with these groups about all the details and to best prepare themselves for the trip and their time here. We can handle all the details from A to Z.

Maybe you are thinking why not to take your money and donate it directly to local projects. In a perfect world, that is a great idea. However in Latin America (and elsewhere in the world), sadly, the majority of donated cash ends up in the pockets of individuals who either keep the money for themselves entirely or have no experience in properly managing those funds.

I hope now the question “why do you have to pay to volunteer” is clearer to you and I´ve helped you to understand it more.

Tropical Adventures would not be able to support our many community development programs without your assistance. Thank you for your support!

Scott Pralinsky, Executive Director of Tropical Adventures

Today is in Costa Rica Dia de Niños – Children´s day! Thanks to this occasion, Valoarte exhibition is opening its gate today! 

This special day has given an opportunity for opening to the public an exhibition called Valoarte at the Centro de Arte y Tecnología La Aduana in east of San José, Costa Rica. This exhibition, where about 150 artists are introduced, benefits to Hogar Siembra, which is a nongovernmental organization founded in 1983 and which has been dedicated to rescuing girls and young women at risk, helping them to overcome problems of abuse and domestic violence.

There are supposed to be around 250 different art works that are for sale. The event is possible to visit until September 29 and it can be very nice experience!

Also in this day dedicated to children, I cannot forget to mention our projects, which are specially aimed at children. If you love children and would like to help them, think of your involvement in our Art & Music Project in Hojancha or you can volunteer this Christmas in our Holiday Project!

Our project in Hojancha enables artists, musicians, teachers, and those interested in art & music in general, to volunteer and to join local artists and teachers, immersing themselves in the pricelessexperience of rural Costa Rica.

Our Holiday project is a great opportunity for you to experience this year´s Christmas extraordinarily!

                                  We wish all children a day filled with sunshine and smiles!   

 (By Marketa Sobotkova - Marketing Intern)

The Irazú Volcano (Spanish: Volcán Irazú) belongs to places that rank among places worthy to see when you are in Costa Rica. Today I would like to share with you our recent experience with one day trip to this interesting Volcano.

 Let´s start with some basic information. It is Costa Rica´s highest volcano with the height of 3,432 meters. It is also one of the most active, with a history of frequent eruptions. The last noticeable activity came in 1996, and since then Irazú has been a quiet giant.

The volcano has several craters, two of which are the principal attractions. The smaller crater, Diego de la Haya, has a beautiful unusual lake with bright greenish yellow coloring that is caused by rainfall dissolving the minerals along craters walls. I believe this lake really contributes to the attendance of this place since it is really amazing.

The wildlife there is often difficult to see because of the constant volcanic activity, but many small animals make their home within the parks perimeters.  We were lucky and see at least one. 

 When to visit:

To avoid the wettest months, the best time to visit is during March and April, although cool temperatures and high winds are common year round. The park is open 7 days a week from 8 am to 3 pm and it is recommended to visit early in the morning as swirling clouds are known to overwhelm the summit later on in the day.

How can you get there?

Irazú National Park is an easy day trip from most locations in the central valley. The drive up through the hills provides an excellent opportunity to see the Central Valley below.

We took a bus that stops in Cartago once a day in the morning and goes from San Jose. You pay something about 4 dollars for return way bus ticket and the entrance is around 10 dollars for non residents of Costa Rica.

We had a chance to visit the Irazú Volcano few days ago and can recommend this place for a day trip. This is the picture of the smaller crater, Diego de la Haya, and its beautiful  lake.

(By Marketa Sobotkova - Marketing Intern)