Luxury Can No Longer Exist Without Considering the Locals
Photo Credit: Children in Costa Rica. The country's tourism minister spoke at Skift Global Forum in New York City on Sept. 18, 2019. Visit Costa Rica
Skift Take
Costa Rica is one of the few countries that considers social progress as a key metric of tourism industry success. That's why tourism industry entities, including luxury hotels, are encouraged to train and hire locals. Opportunities create a wealth ripple effect.
Luxury Travel News
The Skift New Luxury column is our weekly column focused on the business of selling luxury travel, the people and companies creating and selling experiences, emerging trends, and the changing consumer habits around the sector.
“You can’t have a five-star hotel in a one-star community.” That's the quote that really stood out for me from Skift Global Forum, which took place last Wednesday and Thursday in New York City. It came from Costa Rica’s minister of tourism, María Amalia Revelo.
While old-time luxury travelers might have been more than happy to stay at an all-inclusive resort in a developing region, siloed off from the surrounding community, the same cannot be said of the current generation. Yes, travelers still want to venture to unexplored destinations while staying in five-star luxury, but should they feel they are contributing to t
