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You don’t need a well-manicured grass pitch. You don’t even need all 22 players, or fancy uniforms … or even shoes, for that matter. All you need is a ball and people willing to play.

The most popular sport in the world – football (known as soccer in the USA) – can be played anywhere by anyone. That’s the simple beauty of a sport that traverses borders, has brought bitter enemies together, even stopped wars, and has been a unifying force across the planet.

“As a consequence of its simplicity and g

Costa Rica is known for its rainforests, beaches, nature and biodiversity. True, indeed.

But do you know that Costa Rica is the most innovative country in Latin America? Or that the Central American nation has celebrated well over a half-century of peace with no military forces? Or that it is home to a highly-educated society with thriving export and technology industries, and fast-growing foreign investment?

Costa Rica’s newly launched country brand, “Essential Costa Rica” (Esencial Costa Rica),

Re-use your towels at your hotel, ask that your bed linens not be changed daily, take a shower instead of a bath, wear water-resistant sunblock – these are all ways travelers can be responsible water consumers and participate in this year’s World Tourism Day that highlights water conservation.

In support of the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation for 2013, this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) on September 27 is themed: Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future.

Travelers ar

   Although it is no longer a rarely to find on a hotel bed a sign asking the guest to reuse his/her towel or to accept having sheets changed once every three days rather than once a day, many people still wonder if tourism is an environmentally friendly industry. Due to past mistakes the public often is cynical about tourism and it is not unusual to hear people wondering out loud if the desire to change sheets once every three days is more about saving the hotel money then about saving the envi

This month has not been easy for specialists in tourism security. We first witnessed the terrorist bombing of the Russian aircraft, causing not only death and destruction to innocent civilians but also a major blow to Egypt’s tourism industry. Then, on Friday the 13th, the first reports of the terrible attacks in Paris began to come through the newswires.

It is still too early to provide a full security picture of the events. The French police are correctly holding back information and being

When we think of tourism security, we tend to think about either criminal acts that often plague the tourism industry such as: pick-pocketing, room invasions, or con artists, or about "traditional" acts of terrorism such as a bomb.  Rarely do we consider the hidden forms of terrorism that can have an impact on the tourism industry. These forms of terrorism are often not detected until it is too late and while bombs are public killers actions such as bioterrorism are often silent killers.

The 

by Kyle McCarthy with Kaleel Sakakeeny

With demand for family-friendly summer vacation destinations,  multigenerational accommodations and organized tours at an all-time high according to industry sources, the moms behind the first TMS Family Travel Summit decided to look at what “family travel” really means.

They found that the classic married couple with two kids, or more technically, the “married-couple-biological-children” family represents less than half of all American families. Single pare

Nearly all of Costa Rica’s two million-plus tourists each year visit at least one beach during their vacation. Logistics are easy given that the San Jose International Airport is a little less than one hour from the closest Pacific Coast beach, and it only takes 30 minutes or so to get to the coast from the Liberia International Airport in Guanacaste in the north Pacific.

Called “El Coco” by Costa Ricans or “Coco Beach” by foreign visitors and residents, Playa del Coco is one of the oldest beach

With the internet flooded with travel websites, it's easy to think that no one needs travel agents anymore. But in fact, travel specialists have become more important than ever for personalized service and luxurious touches on trips.

The continued popularity of travel agents was evidenced by the big attendance at Educational Travel Agents Seminars held recently in three major cities in California by members of the Pro Image Costa Rica Group. Hundreds of travel specialists in San Francisco, Los An

Tourism is not only the world's largest industry, but also often its most misunderstood.  Many people outside of the industry believe that tourism professionals are on a permanent vacation.  Others complain about tourism's negative impact.  They see greater traffic on the streets, they note the waits in restaurants and cultural events, and complain that visitors often get lost, are loud, and even rude.  While certainly the tourism industry has to plead guilty to some of these charges, any fair m

When naturalist guides Erick Camacho and Jose Garro found the dead toucan below a tree near their staff housing at the Costa Rica eco-lodge where they work, it was an interesting discovery but just another day in the jungle.

However, the deceased toucan – or more importantly, its beak – has given a big boost of hope to saving “Grecia” the injured toucan in Costa Rica that had its beak mutilated by teenagers late last year and has become an international sensation as engineers and veterinarians tr

Costa Rica is a small country with a big success story in reforestation.

The Central American nation was nearly devastated by deforestation by the early 1980s. Now more than 30 years later, over 52 percent of Costa Rica’s land is covered with forest between national parks, private reserves and wildlife refuges.

Costa Rica’s progressive reforestation and environmental protection earned the country the accolade of being named the third best Green Country in the World in the 2014 Global Green Econom

What is your dream for the planet?

Live sustainably? No unusable trash? Less food waste? Clean oceans and water sources? Trees, mountains and forests protected? Well-being of people and animals? Communities living in harmony and respect?

Horizontes Nature Tours in Costa Rica has the same dreams. They care about how travel and tourism affects not only their home of Costa Rica, but the entire planet.

On June 5 people everywhere celebrate World Environment Day 2015 (WED) with the United Nations Env

Eco-friendly travel and sustainable tourism are some of the top buzzwords today in the travel and tourism industry worldwide. “Go Green” is the slogan you hear most often nowadays. Planet-conscientious travelers are more frequently seeking out eco-friendly lodging wherever they travel.

In ecotourism hotspot Costa Rica, L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa is a leading eco-friendly hotel in Nosara on the Nicoya Peninsula. The Bali-style Costa Rica luxury hotel is located between the beautiful white sand bea

When I first visited Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge at the end of 2004, what struck me most was how in heaven did this amazing high-end Costa Rica eco-lodge come to exist in the middle of a jungle on the sea, with nothing else around?

The question is a valid one given Nicuesa Lodge’s completely isolated location in southern Costa Rica. It is a wild place of dense steamy rainforest and tranquil ocean, intensely populated by thousands of species of tropical wildlife. Playa Nicuesa is a little cresc

The trash problem of the world’s oceans has reached epic proportions. However, in the small Central American nation of Costa Rica, 108 beach communities have taken a stand against litter and pollution and are working to make a difference in the world predicament.

The record number of Costa Rica beaches received Ecological Blue Flag Awards for 2014 for having good ecological practices, clean beaches, community cooperation and coastal protection. The annual awards were given out in a ceremony held

“Honey, I still don’t see any action in the restaurant!”  

We were sitting on the balcony of our hotel high above the Adriatic with a view directly into a large, empty, open-air restaurant built in a cave which was also high above the crashing surf. For experienced independent travelers we were getting a little concerned. Did we just make a big leap of faith on a good friend’s recommendation to go to this isolated location for an exceptional dining experience?

The Journey of Faith and a Twinge

Let’s face it; we all care about what we eat. So if visiting a remote jungle eco-lodge is in your plans, you might be wondering if mealtime will resemble a Mission Survive episode or be awesome.

In fact, remote Costa Rica eco-lodge Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge gets regular rave reviews from guests about its exceptional, fresh, gourmet cuisine. The abundance of fresh, healthy and wholesome ingredients is inspiring, and head chef Edixon Lezcano adds a huge helping of creativity to Nicuesa’s menu

A word of caution: The following material does not come from a lawyer nor is it meant to give legal advice.  Instead the information presented below is meant to stimulate thought.  Please do not make any legal decisions based on the information contained within.  Instead consult an attorney in your state or country before making any legal decisions.

The tourism world seems to become more complicated by the day, with both customers and clientele being aware of their legal rights and demanding sati