In Monteverde, for example, the local community and the entire country of Costa Rica benefit from millions of US dollars annually spent by tourists who come to visit and study the cloud forest. Tourists, bird watchers, hikers, students, and others seek out the cloud forest during their vacations. In the Preserve itself, the guides of the Monteverde Guide Association and the employees of the Preserve earn a living because the forest has been protected. While this sort of ecotourism is sometimes criticized, the Preserve is carefully run to reduce visitor impact on wildlife. It is clear that the economic value for Costa Rica of the intact cloud is far higher than it would be if it were cleared for other uses.
Environmental economists value the cloud forest resources in other ways as well.
Positive economic value of carbon storage, biodiversity, and diversity in the tourism economy can all be attributed to the cloud forests. The cloud forests and cloud forest species, such as the Quetzal, play an important role in the culture and history of different regions. Cloud forests of the past provided focus for mythology, philosophy, and religion, and the cloud forests of today provide an important educational focal point not only for biology students but also for people locally and worldwide who care about these topics. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve is proud to host multiple Costa Rican school groups every year who are learning about these topics. Leslie J. Burlingame - Conservation in the Monteverde Zone.