The U.S. news website Time has included Costa Rica as part of its World’s Greatest Places 2021 list.

Costa Rica is one of 100 total destinations selected to the list. Time chose locations “with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.”

“Thanks to Costa Rica’s conservation efforts, forests now cover 53% of the country’s lands—a dramatic reversal after decades of severe deforestation—and 98% of its energy comes from renewable sources, a strong step toward its goal of becoming one of the world’s first decarbonized nations by 2050,” their description reads.

President Carlos Alvarado said the recognition highlights the relationship between conservation and the economy.

“Time places us among the 100 greatest destinations in the world to visit in 2021, emphasizing the commitment Costa Rica made with the environment,” President Alvarado said. “The route to decarbonization and the tradition of respect for the environment are an example and promote economic recovery.”

The Tourism Minister, Gustavo Segura, has called the sector “a vehicle for the economic reactivation that the country needs.”

Source THE TICO TIMES