How was ACTUAR born? The Costa Rican Community-based Rural Tourism Association (ACTUAR), was established in 2001, during the 1st Ecotourism Gathering, organized by United Nation’s Small Grants Program (SGP). The SGP has funded more than 50 community-based rural tourism initiatives as a way to promote sustainable development. This first gathering was an key milestone in the history of the groups involved in community-based rural tourism, as it was the first time we work together for a common purpose, and develop a platform to share problems, needs, challenges and achievements. At the end of this gathering, the need for creating a space for discussion and general analysis of the groups was identified. We decided to get together as an association. At first, the organization members decided that it was very difficult that the 30 members could get together, so we agreed to name representatives for each area or geographical region, to create the national commission. The commission met every three months, analyzing what would be the vision of ACTUAR. Based on those meetings, the first organizational values were established, and people started to speak about ACTUAR in the different political, institutional and tourism circles in which the organization members were involved. In late 2001, ACTUAR thought it was necessary to work in a strategic plan for the organization, which would allow us to identify more clearly our mission and vision. Our purpose is to promote the environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability of community-based rural tourism initiatives in Costa Rica, through strategic alliances to sell community-based tourism, strengthen the capacity of our members and the management of resources. Our values are as follows: • We believe it is possible to preserve the natural resources and generate sustainable life styles for men and women that run community-based rural tourism initiatives • We value the cultural identity (interchange) • We value the democratic participation and equity of the community in the sustainable use of the natural resources In late 2002, ACTUAR organized the General Assembly with the aim of selecting the Management Board. Thus, during the 3rd, 4th and 5th of December, the formalization of ACTUAR took place and it was established as an Association. Why and what for did we establish ACTUAR? The initiatives comprising ACTUAR are distributed all around the country, which makes communication difficult. To solve this problem, we created ACTUAR, to represent us and gather our sector, nationally and internationally, to open spaces in the tourism industry, and to prove with practical activities that tourism can be developed without harming the environment. Currently our organizations complement farming and fishery activities with the sale of tourism services. This requires the development of a large training program so our members, mainly represented by farmers, can provide a high quality tourism service. Many of our organizations find very difficult to promote and sell their services individually. Thus, we established ACTUAR so through the supporting team, it can help to market and sell our services, create capacity building opportunities and provide technical assistance. It is important for us to have a common voice to defend the real participation of communities and influence the decision making process affecting the conservation of nature at community level, and the integrated sustainability of community-based rural tourism. In 2003, ACTUAR opened its offices in San José and started working with the objective of carrying out ACTUAR´s development plans and achieve the goals established for the future. We represent very different initiatives with the same goal! The motivation that ACTUAR´s members have had to get involved in community-based tourism respond to different situations and needs: A. In the case of environmental and conservation organizations, the motivation is based on the search of economic sources that will support the sustainability of the activities they carry out. Many of these organizations own private reserves, and have to invest considerable resources in the protection of these areas, through crimewatch and control against hunting, deforestation and fires. They also require funds to develop environmental education programs and purchase land for conservation purposes. This is the case of CODECE, ASEPALECO and Fundación Monte Alto, Sol de Vida in Nicoya Peninsula, ADESSARU in Palmichal de Acosta or Montaña Verde environmental school in Rivas de Perez Zeledon. These organizations saw on tourism the opportunity to generate funds based on the natural and cultural resources they are protecting. B. In many other cases, tourism started as a response to the need of diversifying the productive activities in a region with farming and fishery production limitations. This is the case of campesino settlements such as Bajo La Paz in San Ramón, Los Planes de Drake in Osa Peninsula, El Copal, and ASODECC, amongst others. As a way to search alternative options, some organizations found on their forests the opportunity to generate complementary income sources through the sale of tourism services. At the same time, a worry of overexploiting the natural resources started and carried out actions with the Agricultural Development Agency (IDA) and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE) to get the permissions for the effective protection of these reserves. C. A third model constitutes women organizations, such as the Asociación de Damas Ecoturísticas de la Isla de Chira and other groups of the Nicoya Gulf. The tourism initiatives in these cases has allowed to strengthen the self-steam, as it has provided professional development opportunities, and especially as it has created small businesswomen that are generating income sources for them and their families. D. The indigenous territories also require an independent assessment. Despite being a very important part of the Costa Rican cultural heritage, the environmental service they provide is not sufficiently recognized. The Environmental Services Payment system has not yet been extended to all territories, or it does not occur in a very significant way. The limitations that the indigenous communities have on the use of the forest does not have an economic retribution (for example, wood sale is not allowed in indigenous territories). For this reason, the tourism industry can be an option to create development in a sustainable manner, as long as it is carried out taking into account a range of principles and criteria that respect their identity and self-management rights. This is the case of Yorkin and Kekoldi initiatives in the Bribri indigenous territory of Talamanca.