Teaching a cross-disciplinary environmental science, policy, and culture course on Costa Rica’s ecotourism to business students

Abstract

Within the business world, there is growing evidence and increasing acceptance that sustainability and environmental practices are the main drivers for current innovation and success. We developed an interdisciplinary, offshore course where undergraduate business students could truly investigate and experience the benefits of environmentally and socially responsible business through the lens of the ecotourism industry. Many in the environmental movement, as well as those who teach about it, see business and environmental issues as being in opposition to each other. We found that this is definitely not the case. By exploring the important ways in which ecology, law, policy, ethics, and culture need to inform business decisions, students were able to apply what they learned in the course to capstone projects in which they created business plans that took into account the ecology of the land, the laws they must adhere to, the culture of the Costa Rican people, and the financial opportunities for socially and environmentally responsible entrepreneurs.