Rafael Gallo Palomo
Video courtesy of GLP Films
Rafael Gallo Palomo, a prominent Costa Rican conservationist and business pioneer of adventure eco-tourism in the country, passed away Tuesday, March 23.
As founder of Ríos Tropicales in 1985, he launched an innovative whitewater rafting attraction that helped put Costa Rica on the map for sustainable tourism.
How do you open Costa Rica to millions of visitors a year while protecting and preserving the natural beauty that draws them? “We’ve been at it for 33 years, before ecotourism was even invented as a word,” said Rafael Gallo, Ecotourism Pioneer, founder and president of Ríos Tropicales, one of Costa Rica’s largest whitewater rafting companies and Ríos Tropicales lodge
Gallo, who for 10 years was the president of the Costa Rican Network of Private Reserves, is a longtime champion of conservation and sustainable tourism in this country. The Howler spoke with him about striking a balance between welcoming the world to Costa Rica yet keeping it clean, green and pristine.