Dear members of CANAECO, fellow Costa Ricans and Internationally Based Colleagues;

It is with great pleasure and a tremendous sense of accomplishment that for the third time since we began this journey I am able to invite you to our much anticipated and influential International Conference, Planet, People, Peace (P3).

The idea for P3 began in 2008 as a response to the plethora of global forums that concentrated on sustainability and ecotourism, always counting on a high proportionate of Costa Ricans in attendance. CANAECO realized that Costa Rica, the world's leader in ecotourism and sustainable practices in the tourism industry, had more to share and disseminate than perhaps any other country, yet our members in great numbers were perennially attending conferences in other parts of the world but not in our own back yard. In a phrase, we "were always the bridesmaid, never the bride". Costa Rica has been the leader in ecotourism and innovation in how to manage sustainable practices while still maintaining a strong bottom line. Furthermore, a unique aspect of Costa Rican tourism is the outstanding role the Institute of Costa Rican Tourism (ICT) has played in sustaining and supporting the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) which has guided the evolution of the responsible tourism industry over the past two decades in Costa Rica.

Thus in 2009, CANAECO in concert with the strong support from the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT), Planeterra and Banco Nacional, as well as and many other sponsors from the private and public sectors, presented the First International Conference: Planet, People, Peace in San Jose, which attracted more than 250 people from all corners of the globe by suggesting that there was much more to learn from each other than just the fundamental "best practices". We had grown up a great deal since the incipient days of ecotourism in Costa Rica and we felt the need to forge ahead with a more sophisticated and profound interchange of ideas- including strong discussions that may not always bear the results that we expected. The 2009 conference brought together participants from Bhutan, Japan, Australia, Canada, the USA, Europe, South and Central America among others. The success of this event was heralded in periodicals and blogs from all over the world and CANAECO's program for offsetting carbon from international flights to and from Costa Rica, Climate Conscious Traveler (VCC) was highlighted by a journal in California as being one of the only viable global programs to really take a pragmatic and concrete approach to mitigating the carbon footprint from the tourism industry.

Last year's 2010 P3 conference was no different, with speakers from Kenya, Holland, Samoa, Canada, Ecuador, Guatemala, the USA and other countries who brought the participants to a new level of involvement and communication. Strong question and answer periods were included and a lot of discussions were held regarding the philosophical, pragmatic and futuristic foundation that was needed for responsible development. Furthermore, CANAECO again supported the artistic community with gorgeous hangings and art work form Kali Rivera, one of Costa Rica's eminent artists and designers and an impressive live musical and video performance by the indigenous and talented group Jirondai (see our video on you tube: Click here )

The 2011 International Conference Planet, People, Peace is focusing on culture and tourism with inherent intellectual sojourns encompassing agro-ecotourism, good marketing of sustainability, the connection between quality and success in tourism sustainability and culinary creativity. It will be an extraordinary venue, as it will be partially sponsored and held in one of the most progressive and important institutions for sustainable agriculture, the University EARTH in Guácimo, in the Caribbean zone, located on 3,300 hectares (8,250 acres) which are comprised of areas of forest, agricultural land and classrooms. We will be again hosting many exciting and influential people from the world of innovative tourism and cultural significance from all over the world, including Dr. Margarita de Orellana, the publisher of the cultural icon, the magazine Artes de Mexico and a renowned historian of the Mexican Cinema, Ms. Deirdre Campbell, a speaker from last year's conference and one of the world's experts on marketing high quality sustainable hotels and Dr. Mina Gabor, an expert on cultures and communities in tourism from the Philippines.

We look forward to having you with us for this important and outstanding event, and we hope that you will be moved and impressed by the leadership of Costa Rica and other countries who will be presenting their ideas for sustainability. All of this encompassed in this wonderful international gathering of the most influential, exciting and innovative players in innovative management of tourism and the culture.

Saludos
Glenn Jampol,
President National Association of Ecotourism - CANAECO

PS: Directly following the conference, the World Rafting Championships will be held nearby in Turrialba where the emphasis is an innovative Costa Rican approach to hosting international sporting events.

Read more here, Costa Rica 2011 World Rafting Championship.