PASOS Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural (Oct 2011)

Turismo, información, cambio climático: el caso del Parque Nacional Volcan Poas, Costa Rica

  • Juan Antonio Aguirre González

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 4
pp. 519 – 530

Abstract

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Climate change is the most important environmental issue of this century. The study was conducted analyzed a completed in 2008/2009, thefield work was conducted during the months of April and May 2008, when, 996 visitors were interviewed in Volcan Poas National Park, Costa Rica, in relation to their attitudes toward climate change with, how and where they get their information on the topic. The park visitors interviewed average between 30 to 50 years in age( CR 31,USA 40 EU 33), 48% male and 52% females, 80% came in groups, between 20 and 40% had a university education of those ( CR 17, USA 35 EU 40) ,3.8% had post graduate degrees and 14% with doctorate degrees ofthe 3.8%. The average income for locals was between 1500 and 2000 dollars a month, and for American between 4000 and 6000 dollars a month. The importance of climate change today in a scale of 0 to 5, in both groups Americans and Europeans between 1000 and 4000( 3305 EU).Costarricans gave an importance of 2 today and infifty years, an importance of 4.The two groups indicated that deforestation was the main cause, followed by cars emissions. Costarricans obtained their information on climate change in television and Americans responded on television, popular magazines and internet.In a topic with an unquestionable “acceptance” the problem due to what it may mean for the averageperson, clarity and simplicity, where two comments that came to the forefront, when additional com-ments, were requested in relation with the information they were receiving.

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