The Tourism Commission approved an initiative proposing more state support and simplification of procedures.

This Wednesday, the members of the Tourism Committee of the Legislative Assembly unanimously approved a bill that aims to provide more state support and simplify procedures for organizations that carry out community-based rural tourism and for micro and small businesses dedicated to ecotourism.

This is Bill 21.562, which was introduced in September 2019 by Broad Front Representative José María Villalta. The bill proposes a series of reforms to the Law for the Promotion of Community-Based Rural Tourism and the Organic Law of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) so that both are recognized as tourism activities and receive greater support, guidance, and promotion from the State.

Some of the text's proposals are:

• Reforms to facilitate access to the tourism declaration for micro and small ecotourism businesses and community rural tourism organizations.
• Require the ICT to promote community-based rural tourism
• Relax the requirements for the development of community-based rural tourism lodges
• Expand the options for the development of themed tourism activities in community-based rural tourism and ecotourism
• Promoting small-scale tourism fishing as a productive alternative for coastal communities

Following the opinion of the committee members, the text is now headed for approval in the Legislative Plenary.

Credits: CrHoy