ABOUT COSTA RICA TOURS LTD

COSTA RICA TOURS, LTD. (CRT), specializes exclusively in Costa Rica and Panama. More than just vacation trips, our tours are "educational adventures" enjoyed by passengers of all ages.

Based in Charlotte, NC, the company was created in 1998 to contribute to the continued development of Costa Rica in which the owner, Sandra Feldman, has participated for over 40 years.  In the 1960s, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer for two years in rural Costa Rica.  Over the next 30 years she worked as an educator and specialist in organizational and community development throughout the United States, Latin America and Asia.  She brings her depth of knowledge of all regions of Costa Rica and Panama to the design of our tours.

CRT is dedicated to sharing the natural beauty and rich cultural histories of these two countries with our travelers. This philosophy, coupled with our long-term collaboration with individuals and organizations in Costa Rica and Panama, has resulted in innovative tours characterized by small group size, flexible dates, enthusiastic tour escorts, knowledgeable country guides and “surprises” around every corner.

Our passengers come from throughout the United States.  We have customized tours for family groups and organizations including The Charlotte World Affairs Council, WTVI Public Television, Charlotte Country Day School, Kent State University, Iowa State University, Lynn University and The Art Institutes of Dalllas and Houston.  In 2002, Costa Rica Tours, Ltd. was selected by AAA Carolinas (North Carolina and South Carolina) as a Preferred Tour Operator for Costa Rica and Panama.  We have been recognized for our innovative itineraries and tours.

Over the past ten years, the Costa Rica Tours, Ltd. has grown with the collaboration of CRT Associates in Washington DC, Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston and Ames, IA.  Our Associates assist in the design, marketing and escorting of our tours.  Our home office staff also includes a Tour Designer, a Financial & Technical Specialist, and a Marketing & Data Management assistant.

MEET US

Sandra Feldman, owner of Costa Rica Tours, Ltd., serves as general manager and tour designer. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer for two years in Costa Rica and as Director of a Peace Corps training program in Fiji.  For 25 years, she worked as a specialist in organizational and community development in the U.S. and in 15 countries in Latin America and Asia, and taught or administered educational programs at several universities. Sandra has served on the boards of Charlotte Professional Women in Travel, Charlotte Area Peace Corps Association, and the Charlotte Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) which named Sandra its 2007 Business Owner of the Year.

 
Bonnie Birker served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Azuero region of Panama.  Bonnie has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Iowa, and has worked as a human services professional in a variety of community development, micro-enterprise, and family economics programs.  Raised on a farm in Iowa, Bonnie has been an avid gardener throughout her life and was the coordinator of the Master Gardener Program in Linn County, Iowa.  As a CRT Associate since 2001, Bonnie serves as the Tour Escort for our annual Panama with Canal Transit and Garden Tours, as well as co-designer and escort for numerous customized group tours.  In 2006, Bonnie relocated to Panama and is assisting in the expansion of our program there as well as operating her Casa del Puerto B&B.


Donna Sullivan, President of Sullivan's Custom Tours, brings to our company more than 20 years of experience as a college instructor and administrator at The Art Institute of Houston where she served as Director of Fashion Marketing and Director of Public Relations. She has developed and escorted educational study tours for fashion, interior design and culinary students throughout the world. She assists CRT by marketing and escorting our unique Tropical Cooking School & Tour in Costa Rica.

John Allensworth holds a PhD in Geography with a specialty in Latin America, earth science and Third World economic development. He currently is a Lecturer in the Department of Geosciences at Georgia State University and for more than 25 years was a faculty member at Kent State University. John served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama and as a Peace Corps trainer for programs in the Dominican Republic, Peru and Honduras.  For 20 years, John has organized and escorted cultural tours to 11 countries in Latin America, as well as to Thailand, India, Tibet, Russia, Italy and Ireland. As an Associate of CRT, John co-designs and escorts customized tours in Costa Rica and Panama. 
 

Dr. Frank Rutowski traveled with Costa Rica Tours, Ltd. as a passenger on our CR Variety Tour in 2005 and on a customized tour for his family in 2006.  He says since the beginning, the wonderful country and people have become part of his heart.  We asked Frank to join us as an associate and to co-design and escort our specialized Nature Tours. He brings extensive knowledge from his undergraduate studies in zoology and graduate studies at the College of Veterinary Medicine of North Carolina State University. For the past 15 years Dr. Rutowski has owned and operated Animal Care Hospital of Matthews. He is one of the few veterinarians in the region with a special interest in birds, especially parrots.

  Costa Rica Tours, Ltd.
  www.costaricatoursltd.com
 704.541.8680