The Market-Based Opportunities for Conservation and Sustainable Tourism (CSTP) in Nicaragua is a three-year initiative that uses sustainable tourism to:

• Increase competitiveness through sustainable tourism development and promotion
• Improve environmental management while conserving biodiversity in two targeted regions of the country

The program generates new and diverse enterprises and employment opportunities for rural populations, while introducing sound environmental practices in and around protected areas and private wild land reserves. CSTP fosters economic growth and income generation and, in so doing creates greater food security in the region. Further, the program works with local partners to offer new economic opportunities related to the growing nature-based tourism market in order to combat threats to biodiversity and address high rural poverty rates in the target regions.