Cultural Identity

& Education

to Foster Creativity

& Innovation

The VZ Foundation is the manag-ing body of the corporate social responsibility model of Hotel Pun-ta Islita. Focusing on the commu-nities sur-rounding the hotel, this model seeks to promote sustainable tourism development, cultural identity, and a holistic educational system.

Its successful program has set a novel paradigm in Costa Rica, har-monizing business performance with equitable economic oppor-tunity and human rights. It has earned national and international recognition as one of the best, most dynamic, and most efficient

initiatives within the tourism in-dustry and has earned key national and international accolades.

As a fundraising entity, the VZ Foundation has been able to leverage Hotel Punta

Islita’s contributions by encourag-ing donations from socially-conscious private individuals, gov-ernment, NGO’s, and corporations.

Established in 2004, the Founda-tion has systematized and chan-neled the corporate social re-sponsibility initiatives initiated by Hotel Punta Islita

The tiny community of Islita is at the heart of the VZ Foundation initiatives.

What is Fundación VZ?

“Its successful program has set a paradigm in Costa Rica ”

Hotel Punta Islita was developed in an economical-ly depressed area that had been adversely affected by unsustainable farming practices and a high de-gree of urban migration. The challenge was huge because there was a dearth of travel professionals or suppliers of goods and services necessary for a world-class hotel. The strategy proposed by its founder, Harry Zürcher was novel, focusing on the gradual development of local skills and abilities through a close relationship with its local neigh-bors. With the arrival of Eduardo Villafranca as Di-rector, Hotel Punta Islita systematized its emerging model, refining it as a tool to overcome the prob-lems inherent to the geographic location of the ho-tel and its sociocultural environment. These chal-lenges included insufficient infrastructure, inexist-ent telecommunications and, lack of diversified employment opportunities.

Mr. Villafranca’s inclusive approach addresses sus-tainability globally, founded upon the premise that sustained collective action has the greatest impact. Thus, the development of the Hotel Punta Islita has emphasized synergy with its neighbouring commu-nities, providing professional, educational, and ar-tistic opportunities. Neighbouring communities benefit from their unique cultural identity and

have responded with creativity and enthusiasm. The result is a harmonic dynamic that protects cul-tural heritage, human welfare, and environmental health.

Harry Zürcher at the Hotel Punta Islita site,

circa 1984.

1984

2013

Hotel Punta Islita is the brainchild of Costa Rican attorney Harry Zurcher. The hotel was inaugurat-ed in 1994.

Program’s History: Hotel Punta Islita

Eduardo Villafranca

The Islita Museum is an initiative that pairs established Costa Rican artists with emerging talent from the local communities to create outdoor art, temporary exhibitions in the local gallery, and art work-shops in various techniques. Mu-rals and sculptures have trans-formed the small town into a place full of colors and textures. Local groups are led by Costa Rican artist Loida Pretiz, winner of the

Aquileo Echeverria National Art Award. Artistic development has been a successful tool to express local identity, underscore self-esteem and has helped create a collective space for the production and marketing of unique artistic production.

Art for Development

Casa Museo features art galleries, art studios, an amphitheatre, and a gift shop..

Located at the heart of Islita, the Jon and Janie Mangus Day Care Center tends to local children with ages ranging between nine months and six years old. In addi-tion to a healthy meal plan, young-sters receive complementary edu-cation that emphasizes critical

thinking, English as a Second Lan-guage, and environmental aware-ness. Its success is a tribute to the generous involvement of Hotel Punta Islita's home owners' associ-ation in collaboration with the Vil-lafranca-Zurcher Foundation.

Islita Day Care Center

y Janie Mangus Day Care Center

The Islita Creative Center will expand the complementary education initia-tives set forth in Hotel Punta Islita’s sustainable tourism model. It seeks to build upon the success of the Is-lita Day Care Center and its early stimulation didactic program by de-veloping a fully-outfitted learning space to strengthen after-school op-portunities that foster creativity, so-cial skills, and critical thinking using electronic media and targeted art and play activities. It can benefit close to two hundred elementary school children and adolescents from neighbor communities. Hotel Punta Islita has donated the site and basic infrastructure to

house the Center. Through its Vil-lafranca-Zurcher Foundation, Hotel Punta Islita is providing human re-sources, management services, and fundraising activities.

The site for the Islita Creative Center is adjacent to the Islita Art Museum Amphitheater. The facilities donated by Hotel Punta Islita need to be re-furbished and fully outfitted with the latest didactic technologies including computers, high-speed internet, and multi-media equipment. The overall goal is to set a viable, subsidized, and voluntary complementary edu-cation program.

Join Our Project

Islita Creative Center

The Islita Creative Center is located next to the Casa Museo.

Islita Creative Center

The project has three phases, and each entails an investment. The first step is remodeling the place intended for the Islita Creative Center, with costs estimated at about ¢ 7,000,000 or $ $ 14,000 (including materials and labor).

The second stage involves the re-furbishment of the place. This re-quires electronic equipment (TV, DVD, radio cassette, etc.), furni-ture and shelving, educational ma-terial (paper, markers, erasers,

etc...), and didactic items (visual , games, books, etc..). The cost for those is estimated at ¢ 1.5 million or $ 3000.

Finally, the third stage is operating expenses, including the salary of a teacher, cleaning costs and utili-ties, among others. The monthly operating expense is estimated at ¢ 200,000 ($ 400) or ¢ 2.4 million-$ 4,800 on an annual basis.

Join Our Project

Nancy Arias

Executive Delegate

Fundacion VZ

Lic. Psychology

narias@fundacionvz.org

Loida Pretiz

Directora

Museo de Arte Islita

Winner

Aquileo Echeverria

National Art Award

lpretiz@fundacionvz.org

Please Join Our Efforts

Awards

Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism

Awards Best for Community Benefit

(2010)

American-Costa Rican Chamber of

Commerce (AmCham) Grand Award

Best Community Contribution

(2010)

Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía

(CEMEFI) Best Practice CSR in Latin

America (2009)

WTTC) Investment in People Award

Tourism for Tomorrow (2006)

Costa Rican Government’s Ombuds-

man Quality of Life Award (2005)