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Tourism Chamber calls for intervention in Manuel Antonio National Park |
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 By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The National Chamber of Tourism described the conditions of Manuel Antonio National Park* as shameful and demanded that park authorities take immediate action to restore the park. Shirley Calvo, director of the Chamber, said the park generates significant income for the government and maintains that the government should reinvest some of that money into solving the problems in the park. "We must put a stop [to deterioration] now. This is the most visited park, which generates more income to the government and this is the reason why many tourists come to Costa Rica. Those are enough reasons for authorities to give priority attention to that situation," she said. The Chamber points out that some of the major problems are: the current ticket purchase system, the long lines at the park entrance, the uncertainty of tourists who don’t know if they will be able to enter the park, the unhealthy conditions in the bathrooms and the deficient wastewater treatment systems that have an environmental impact on the park. The Chamber believes that there has been a passive and negligent attitude on the part of authorities managing the park, who for years have seen same problems reoccur without providing permanent solutions. This has resulted in denunciations and the closure of the park on several occasions. According to Calvo, it is clear that a comprehensive and final solution has been postponed for a decade. The problems are repetitive and exhausting for entrepreneurs who struggle to improve park conditions and the quality of their services. "We are aware that the National System of Conservation Areas has been working on a solution proposal for more than 6 months, however, the problems occur today and every day and we do not see that the managers are taking immediate actions to solve them,” said Calvo. The Chamber says it has received complaints from businessmen because tourists have to wait in long lines to buy tickets or to enter the park, while they face the inconvenience caused by street sellers and expose themselves to theft. The Chamber is making this public complaint to demand that park administrators find a definite solution to all the problems faced by the park and the tourists who visit it. On January 9, Legislator Carmen Chan denounced a series of problems at Manuel Antonio National Park that are affecting tourists. |
 Manuel Antonio National park courtesy photo A major
problem mentioned by Deputy Chan is the
wastewater treatment. She stated that there is
no safe and suitable place for waste from the
bathrooms – sewage – to be contained and
treated.
"Although these areas provide significant income to the government and promote the image of the country, the government does not take actions or make use of institutional instruments, so in recent years Manuel Antonio Park has been experiencing a series of problems," said deputy Chan. A major problem mentioned by Deputy Chan is the wastewater treatment. She stated that there is no safe and suitable place for waste from the bathrooms – sewage – to be contained and treated. This will eventually cause irreversible impact on the environment of the protected area. According to Deputy Chan’s accusation, an urgent work plan should be coordinated among several institutions to solve the problems in the park. "It is necessary to implement a coordinated action plan among public institutions such as the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Security, the Ministry of Health, and the Municipality, with the important participation of private companies," said Deputy Chan Deputy Chan called on the government to take action and solve problems in the park, especially since it is a site promoted as a tourist attraction. -------- Have you ever visited Manuel Antonio Park? Did you find problems during your visit? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com *Link to reach the place on map. |
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