Raleigh International

Costa Rica has kicked off 2011 with a bang by welcoming more visitors than in the same quarter last year.

The Costa Rica Tourism Board has reported a 7.8% increase in tourism than during the same period in 2010.

Central America welcomed more tourists last year as new figures from the various tourism boards show a 10.8% increase in visitors in 2010 compared to the previous year.

Coffee growers in Costa Rica are farming the world's first certified carbon-neutral coffee.

Coffee growing has been known to make quite a big environmental impact as forests can be cleared and pesticides can contaminate water, but now a group of 800 coffee farms in the Dota Valley, known as CoopeDota, is hoping their new offering will be more attractive to green consumers.

A new marine reserve has been set up around Costa Rica’s Cocos Island to help protect endangered species like hammerhead sharks and leatherback turtles.

A conservation group has been working with the Costa Rican government to establish the area and new rules are likely to forbid fishing within the zone and be limited in other areas.

Turtles and tortoises have been named by a new report as the most endangered group of vertebrate animals.

The Turtles in Trouble report, produced by a group of turtle conservation groups, said more than half of their species are threatened with extinction.

The world’s first carbon-neutral airline, Nature Air, has added a new scheduled route between San Jose, Costa Rica and Managua, Nicaragua.

For those wishing to travel on after or before their expedition, the new flight opens up some environmentally friendly flight options between the two Raleigh countries.

Nature Air is working directly with Nicaragua’s Tourism Board INTUR to offer additional services to visitors including ground transportation and vacation packages to the popular cultural and historic centres of Granada and Leon, as well as natural destinations like Masaya, the islands of Ometepe, and the beach and surf town of San Juan del Sur.

“Costa Rica has been one of the most popular holiday destinations in recent years, and neighbouring countries like Nicaragua have seen a significant amount of visitors travelling over the border to visit nearby tourist destinations,” Nature Air’s Claire Saylor said.

“With increasingly shorter vacations and greater expectations from travellers, Nature Air recognises the need to offer more flights in Central America,” she added.

Scientists in Costa Rica have delivered a letter to the Raleigh expedition country’s president in a bid to protect sea turtles’ nesting areas from new legislation.

More gap year travellers and other tourists visited Costa Rica last year, meaning the Raleigh expedition country welcomed over two million people for only the second time in its history.

Data gathered by the Immigration Department of Costa Rica and analysed by the Costa Rica Tourism Board showed that there was a 9.2% increase in international tourism to the Central American country, compared to 2009.

Raleigh expedition country Costa Rica has been named as one of the top 10 best ethical destinations in the world by organisation Ethical Traveler.

In its annual report, the organisation - which urges gap year travellers and other tourists to support nations that see ethical tourism as a way of development - looks at issues that include environmental protection, social welfare and human rights.

Costa Rica is one of the best places for winter gap year travels, according to CNN.

The news provider spoke to three travel experts including Patrick Evans of STA Travel, who offered recommendations for five good value places to travel around during the winter months.