ABSTRACT The objective of this research is to analyze the support networks around
Community-Based Rural Tourism (CBRT) projects, centered on two Costa Rican NGOs,
ACTUAR (Costa Rican Association of Community-Based Rural Tourism) and
COOPRENA (Cooperative Consortium - National Ecotourism Network). Based on the
stipulations of Granovetter’s network theory, it can be hypothesized that NGOs link
communities that practice CBRT to other parts of the social system in ways that would
otherwise be unconnected. In this study, in-depth interviews and qualitative analysis of
secondary documents were carried out. The history of COOPRENA is related to the
decline of the cooperative movement, while ACTUAR’s history is related to Integrated
Conservation and Development Projects. Results show that these two NGOs serve as a
link between community organizations, funding sources, government institutions,
tourists and other NGOs. The contents of their network relations can be classified as:
marketing efforts, community support, fund seeking, and advocacy.
Support Networks for Community-Based Rural Tourism in Costa Rica - ResearchGate. Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/262374044_Support_Networks_for_Community-Based_Rural_Tourism_in_Costa_Rica [accessed Jul 14, 2015].