BUENAS PRÁCTICAS PARA EL TURISMO CIENTÍFICO

The document argues that scientific stations cannot be 100% financially self-sufficient and must combine 'Investigative Scientific Tourism' with 'Amateur Scientific Tourism' to achieve holistic sustainability. Using the OET stations in Costa Rica (La Selva and Las Cruces), it proposes a target visitor mix of 40% researchers and 60% high-paying amateurs to maximize revenue and reduce seasonality. Key recommendations include territorial zoning to separate researchers from tourists, implementing differentiated pricing, and establishing university consortia to ensure a steady flow of students and institutional funding.

• No scientific station is currently 100% financially self-sufficient; the OET stations cover 80% of their costs through operations and the remaining 20% through donations from academia, philanthropy, and international cooperation.
• To maximize financial and environmental sustainability, stations should aim for a visitor distribution of 40% Investigative Scientific Tourism and 60% Amateur Scientific Tourism.
• The coexistence of researchers and amateur tourists requires territorial zoning—specifically an 80% allocation for conservation/research and 20% for tourism—and the use of higher amateur fees to subsidize scientific work.
• Amateur scientific tourists, such as birdwatchers, represent a significant untapped market opportunity due to their high purchasing power and ability to mitigate the seasonality of academic visits, which typically peak from December to February and June to August.
• University consortia are essential for stability; the OET's consortium of approximately 51 to 70 universities provides annual memberships of around $10,000 USD each and ensures a consistent flow of students.
• Transitioning to solar energy can significantly reduce operational costs; La Selva invested $300,000 USD in 800 panels, reducing annual energy costs from $130,000 USD to $75,000 USD, with a projected further reduction to $30,000 USD.

APA

Medina, C. (2019). BUENAS PRÁCTICAS PARA EL TURISMO CIENTÍFICO. Transforma. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/200612-Reporte-Final-Buenas-Practicas-para-el-Turismo-Cientifico-Caso-OET.pdf

Chicago

Medina, Carolina. BUENAS PRÁCTICAS PARA EL TURISMO CIENTÍFICO. Transforma, 2019. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/200612-Reporte-Final-Buenas-Practicas-para-el-Turismo-Cientifico-Caso-OET.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Medina |first1=Carolina |title=BUENAS PRÁCTICAS PARA EL TURISMO CIENTÍFICO |publisher=Transforma |date=November 2019 |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/200612-Reporte-Final-Buenas-Practicas-para-el-Turismo-Cientifico-Caso-OET.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{medina2019buenas, author = {Medina, Carolina}, title = {{BUENAS PRÁCTICAS PARA EL TURISMO CIENTÍFICO}}, institution = {Transforma}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/200612-Reporte-Final-Buenas-Practicas-para-el-Turismo-Cientifico-Caso-OET.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }