DESTINATION COSTA RICA, COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Our Mission

To guarantee our clients with the best programs and travel arrangements in Costa Rica, by designing personalized tourist itineraries, considering and exceeding their expectations; observing at the same time the profit levels established by our shareholders.

Through our daily activities, we will honor Costa Rica’s idiosyncrasy, casting our image as a top quality company committed to the development of sustainable tourism.

Our Vision

To position ourselves as the leading personalized service Costa Rican tour operator via the design of vacation programs adapted to the likes and preferences of each client that guarantee their satisfaction through excellence in service, the high quality of the products we offer and our formal commitment to being a sustainable tourism company.

Ethics and regulations: DCR is completely committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and to complete compliance with all national and international regulations. This includes, for example, those that promote fair competition, corporate regimes, bribe prevention, illicit payments and corruption, the security in the use to which the services that DCR offers its clients are destined to, laws and labor practices, the environment, regulations in the field of Human Rights and internationally established standards and the protection of copyright, company assets and other forms of intellectual property. DCR´s objective is not merely meeting minimum legal requirements, but, as a corporation with an ample trajectory, to be among the best in that which concerns corporate responsibility, with correct civic corporate practices wherever conducting business.

DCR respects the privacy and integrity of those involved in the service programs offered by the company and will endeavour in adhering to strict standards when processing personal information and product information. All personal information obtained and kept by DCR will be adequately processed, with caution and in accordance with the established legal guidelines, so as to protect the privacy of the individual.

In line with its commitment to Sustainable Tourism and in accordance with that established by the ICT, DCR will keep absolutely respectful of and proactive in the areas covered by Law 7600, the Sexual Harassment Law, the Sexual Exploitation of Children Law, the National Archaeological Heritage Law, the Wild Life Conservation Law, the Illegal Substance Trafficking and Consumption Law, Forest Law, Environment Law. As well as with the Regulation for the Use of Protected Areas, Adventure Activities and the points covered in the CITES Treaty.

Human Rights: DCR respects and promotes Human Rights. DCR, acknowledges that certain Human Rights must be considered fundamental and universal, according to laws and practices accepted in the international level (such as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization, and the principles of the World Pact). Among those rights which DCR considers fundamental are: the right to non – discrimination on the base of race, belief, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, age, sex, sex change, sexual preference, marital status, handicap (Law 7600) or another condition; the right not to suffer arbitrary detention, execution or torture, the right to peaceful gathering and association, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and the right to an opinion and expression. DCR does not utilize forced or child labor. DCR does not tolerate work conditions or treatment that is in conflict with international laws and practices. DCR does not tolerate any violation of the Human Rights of its employees, maintaining a strict position around the Sexual Harassment Law.

Environmental Practices: DCR promotes sound environmental practices, establishing practices such as: recycling, energy and water saving, adequate practices in the field (knowledge about carrying capacity regulations, rules for visiting National Parks and reserves) as norms within the company.

The environmentalist activities of DCR are based on the concept of sustainable tourism, whose objective is to follow the guidelines of sound practices on the physical – biological medium, the management of service, the external client and community development. The goal is to reduce the negative effects on the environment during the execution of the services acquired by the client. This is achieved by managing our operations and our supplier network and by incorporating sound practices programs. DCR does not utilize endangered species for any commercial purpose and requires that its suppliers avoid purchasing from places where there is clear evidence of human or animal rights abuse or of threat to the environment or when the method of purchase or distribution is illegal. In its advertising and other company activities, DCR shows animals in a dignified fashion and sends messages which promote adequate practices for their protection. DCR retransmits to its suppliers and clients that which is established by the: Child Sexual Exploitation Law, National Archaeological Heritage Law, Wild Life Conservation Law, Illegal Substance Trafficking and Consumption Law, Forest Law, Environment Law. As well as with the Regulation for the Use of Protected Areas, Adventure Activities and the points covered in the CITES Treaty.

Suppliers: DCR seeks to only hire sub – contractors and suppliers that adhere to environmental and international human rights laws and practices. DCR commits to supervising the ethical conduct of its suppliers and to take immediate and exhaustive measures, in the case that the ethical conduct of its suppliers were questioned. DCR informs its suppliers about that related to the: 7600 Law, Sexual Harassment Law, Child Sexual Exploitation Law, National Archaeological Heritage Law, Wild Life Conservation Law, Illegal Substance Trafficking and Consumption Law, Forest Law, Environment Law. As well as with the Regulation for the Use of Protected Areas, Adventure Activities and the points covered in the CITES Treaty.

Our Policies
Destination Costa Rica works to promote respect for national and international conservation policies. We carry out a constant effort to publicize Law No. 7495 of Wild Life Conservation, whose main objective is the protection and conservation of flora and fauna still living in their natural habitats. This effort also concerns the Environmental Organic Law No 7554 and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – CITES).

Our guides will retransmit this information to our clients so that they may become familiar with the guidelines that exist in our country concerning this field. In this sense, we will establish a strategic image of the country which emphasizes on the efforts which Costa Rica makes to promote conservation of the ecosystems and environmental education. Our wholesalers will also be provided with all the pertinent information so that they can become a part of our effort.

About the Archaeological Heritage Protection Law

Destination Costa Rica defines itself as a loyal defender of our national archaeological heritage, so that it commits to the protection of all cultural assets that are a product of the activities of human groups of the past (specifically, indigenous groups previous or contemporary to the establishment of Spanish culture in the national territory). This is why it will proceed with vehemence in any situation that menaces the national archaeological heritage through three specific actions:
1) Training of its collaborators on Law No 6703 of National Archaeological Heritage.
2) Dissemination of this law
3) Formal accusation before the National Museum in case of detection of a situation that threatens this heritage.

About the Law against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Destination Costa Rica declares itself a vehement defender of the integrity and Rights of Costa Ricans in general, adults, teenagers, boys and girls, for this reason it will carry out its tourist activities under the strictest guidelines of respect toward Laws No. 8204 of Narcotics, psychotropic substances, drugs of unauthorized use, legitimization of capital and connected activities; No 7476 against Sexual Harassment in the work place and in education and Law No 7899 against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

We will divulge among our collaborators, clients suppliers and families that sex with minors in Costa Rica is penalized by jail.

Our message towards collaborators, clients, suppliers and families emphasizes that children and adolescents must never be blamed or held responsible for the acts to which they have been induced or forced into by the exploiters.

We will promote the creation of a “zero tolerance” culture against all forms of exploitation of girls, boys and adolescents, so as to modify the deeply rooted cultural patterns that justify authoritarianism, discretion, and arbitrariness with which adults act towards girls, boys and adolescents.

In our message towards collaborators, clients, suppliers and families we will insist on the fact that the problem is not only the responsibility of the State, and much less of the victims themselves or their families, or their immediate social contexts, so that an effort on everyone´s behalf is required.

In our message towards collaborators, clients, suppliers and families we will insist on letting them know that when boys, girls and adolescents are sexually exploited many other Rights are also violated ( the Right to physical and mental health, to education, to family life, to play and to recreation) so that those rights must also be restored.

In our message to our collaborators, clients, suppliers and families we will insist upon the idea that boys, girls and adolescents must be treated as victims of the people that benefit directly or indirectly from commercial social exploitation and of those that tolerate this situation.

We will invite them by means of written and formal statements to become a part of the Code of Conduct, guiding them, when necessary, about the requirements for their signature.

We will support “Paniamor” Foundation in, at least one, of the protection projects for our boys and girls.

About the Law on Narcotics, Psychotropic Substances and Drugs of Unauthorized Use

In any of Destination Costa Rica’s tourist programs any kind of dealing related to drugs, narcotics and/or psychotropic substances of unauthorized use is absolutely prohibited.

If anything like this were to happen then the necessary measures will be taken in terms of denouncement (in the case where clients or suppliers are involved) or firing (in the case where employees are involved).

About the Law against Sexual Harassment in the Work Place and in Education

The company will let its collaborators know the procedure to denounce sexual harassment since the beginning of the work relationship during the stage of induction and will proceed according to that established by the law.

The company will severely punish any sign of sexual harassment towards any person or any situation in which any of its collaborators is affected while working inside or outside the company premises.
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The information about the mentioned laws for the establishment of these policies will be available to its collaborators, suppliers, clients and family members.