But small numbers of tourists can double and triple in number without reaching a critical mass of more than 500,000 per year. Belize now has a flattened growth rate. Costa Rica began preparing for charter planes to ferry sun and sand tourists straight to the coast in 1995, and land speculation and big hotels quickly began changing the character of this once eco-friendly country. The '80s saw the concept of 'ecotourism' embraced by communities, tour operators and government. The pressure for larger hotels and more mainstream tourism has been growing in both Belize and Costa Rica for a number of years.
Coastal tourism seems nearly impossible to control.
Happy little fishing villages are quickly transformed into hot new 'off the beaten path' meccas. Foreign builders with more capital replace local entrepreneurs, and the land speculators move in like vultures. They buy and sell parcels strictly in anticipation of the inevitable escalating demand, going home to Houston or New York with gold chains and diamond rings, while the local people are displaced and can no longer afford to survive in their once tranquil seaside homes. Here in the Maya Mountains however, tranquility and conservation-driven entrepreneurism still reigns. Occupancy is down, and the old-timers are working harder to fill rooms.