Today we were able to have the opportunity to explore the pineapple farm and a waterfall. Those 2 were both great experiences, and I was able to learn what each of them had to offer. Over this past week, I had the chance to learn so many great things in Costa Rica by exploring the tourism and farming industries. In my opinion, and a lot of my generation’s opinion, we are more interested in tourism and are able to learn a lot more from it. One specific tourism tour that I learned so much from and enjoyed the most was the La Paz zoo. I was able to learn so much more about the animals and the environmental sustainability and safety in Costa Rican culture. La Paz was able to integrate modern culture and technology into a more knowledgeable experience. I believe the younger generation is more likely to relate to tourism because it gives us a better opportunity to meet people where we can interact, and it uses a more modern technology system where we are able to relate a lot more comfortably.

Farming, on the other hand, is less popular with the younger generation and me because even though it has evolved a lot over the years, we aren’t able to see as much of the modern technology as we can see with the tourism industry. Farming also relies heavily on the environment and weather, which can change rapidly in Costa Rica. This can be a negative side for us because sometimes farming can feel very unstable at times due to the reliability of these factors. Some of the risks and unintended consequences that can lead from people leaving farming for tourism are the scarcity of “natural food”. With fewer farmers, the country is more likely to import food, which would cost them money, and they would lose money from not being able to export their resources. We saw at the pineapple farm how many pineapples they sell to other countries, and with more people going to tourism, there is a chance that we can lose that side of the business.