In the interest of promoting local groups dedicated to nature tourism and the participative management of protected areas, the Reventazón Model Forest (Costa Rica) organized an exchange between three groups of tour guides at the Irazú Volcano National Park on 7 November 2009.

The purpose of this event was to strengthen the relationship of the three groups and create a strategic alliance between them. These groups are closely linked to three protected areas within the Reventazón MF: ASOTUR is a group of young tour guides that came together in the past few years to offer their services in the Irazú Volcano National Park; U-SURÉ is a group of guides that has worked together for over five years at the Guayabo National Monument; and the third group was recently formed by young adults of the Turrialba Volcano National Park who are studying at the National Learning Institute in order to become certified tour guides.

Likewise, the Jameikari Indigenous Cabecar Tourism Association celebrated the inauguration of its Indigenous Tourism Project campsite from 20-21 November 2009. This indigenous organization is a partner of the Reventazón MF and has also participated in ethno-tourism exchanges and received substantial financial support thanks to an alliance with the Manitoba MF in Canada.

For more information see the Ibero-American Forest Network Website