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Building the Foundations for Nacientes Palmichal's Sustainability

Building the Foundations for Nacientes Palmichal's Sustainability

Thumbnail: Building the Foundations for Nacientes Palmichal's Sustainability

Nacientes Palmichal is an ecotourism site located in the mountains of Costa Rica, approximately an hour outside of San José. After enduring the economic setbacks of the Covid-19 pandemic, which greatly affected ecotourism in the country, Nacientes Palmichal sought to find a forward-facing, sustainable funding model to help restart its ecotourism mission. Working with community stakeholders, a Dow Fellows created a holistic plan to help the organization grow in a post-pandemic world, leveraging the strong entrepreneurial spirit in the community by creating a “Made in Palmichal” brand. Through extensive stakeholder engagement, the team laid the foundation for a community cooperative that shares the benefits of a vibrant tourism industry. The team also created three visitor profiles and designed marketing materials customized for each type of visitor.