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Monte Alto
Julio Peña Lara

Hojancha and National Institute of Education (INA) work together in tourist development

An ambitious project plans to transform Carrillo Beach, Hojancha, into a top end tourist destination; the people behind the project presented the plan to the local political authorities, religious groups and entrepreneurs from Hojancha, where they estimate that 2,000 jobs will be created in the short term.

The event took place on March 13th at the Monte Alto Natural Reserve, which is run both by the community and the Ministry of the Energy and the Environment (MINAE) to protect the water sources and rich biodiversity. Here there are 174 bird species, 27 mammals, 63 orchid species, 681 butterflies and more than 500 species of trees, bushes and mushrooms.

The President of the National Institute of Education (INA), Carlos Sequeira, was present in the event as well as other directives and staff members of the institution; the people of Hojancha demand that this institution trains them in different areas related to tourism, foreseeing the high job demand that will be generated in this coastal area.

PREPARED
The Mayor of Hojancha, Juan Marín, explained that the meeting had two objectives: let the developers present the project’s preliminary designs, and understand the INA’s plans to start teaching courses in English, computer skills, and for tourist guides and hotel management.

“We are learning from the mistakes of other areas, where tourism investments have taken place but the local communities were not prepared to take full advantage of the new job opportunities. We do not want this to happen again in our area” added Marín.

Sequeira stated that in this opportunity, INA together with the Hojancha Municipality, “are a step ahead of the coming development, since they are dealing with an important tourist project that the neighbors need to take advantage of.”

According to the Priest Hugo Ortega “anything that has to do with tourism requires a lot of reflection and we need to discuss it and analyze it to see how it should be done.”

TRAINING FOR THE FUTURE
The Hojancha experience will be INA’s “pilot program” that will allow the institution to measure its ability to respond to and create flexible programs that adapt to the needs of every region.

The training program will start in June 2007 and will offer courses for all the community in English, computer skills, hotel management. These will take place in schools, high schools, and the church’s facilities, located downtown.

At the same time, there will be a select young group who will take specialized courses in electrical engineering, refrigeration/air conditioning, machinery and other technical course, who will receive a scholarship from INA and be sent to educational centers in Santa Cruz and Liberia.

Morevoer, there will be an agreement between the INA and the Monte Alto Foundation, where in 6 months the individuals from Santa Cruz, Hojnacha and Nandyure who received these scholarships will also receive training as tourist guides as well as conversational English.

Additionally, 30 people without experience, will participate in the construction of the Community Center in Huacas. Here INA will collaborate in finding the teachers for the courses, will grant scholarships while other institutions will contribute with materials, with the goal being to provide quality “on the job training”…

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT
The tourist project was presented by José Martí Jiménez Figueres, (José Figueres Ferrer grandson), and envisioins the construction of a 5 and a 6 star hotel, condominiums, villas, luxury town homes, professional golf course; in a property of 600 hectares with beachfront access to Carrillo Beach.

According to Jiménez, this project involves “many millions of dollars” from Madison Partners, the American investor group associated to a local company called Novita Capital, and is seeking to build something very special: “a magic place, in harmony with the environment.”

A big change that comes with the project involves the possible elimination of the existing road that borders Carrillo Beach, which would be replaced by a boulevard with public services (bathrooms, parking space, Internet and restaurants).

In exchange for this, a new road will be built 500 m inland from Sámara to Carrillo Beach.

The investors foresee the creation of 2,000 direct jobs to assist the hotel management, without taking into account the secondary positive benefits that this project will bring to the community.

According to Jiménez, “this is a well planned project that takes into account the community and environment, in such a way that it will allow for the community’s development, since we do not want to ‘bite the hands that feed us’, but rather, want everyone to be able to benefit.”