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 CRT's owner, Sandra Feldman, has been actively committed to since serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Costa Rica during the 1960s. After the Peace Corps, Sandra worked for more than 30 years as an educator and specialist in organizational and community development, focusing on Latin America. She brings her depth of knowledge of all regions of Costa Rica and Panama to the design of our tours. Sandra's enthusiasm for Costa Rica and her guiding philosophy for the company come through clearly in a Charlotte Observer article about her published on August 17, 2011.
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 wonderful “surprises” around every corner.
Our passengers come from throughout the United States and Canada. We have customized tours for family groups and educational organizations including Kent State University, Iowa State University, and The Art Institutes of Dallas and Houston. We also have provided customized tours sponsored by local groups including The Charlotte World Affairs Council, WTVI Public Television, Charlotte Country Day School and Countryside Montessori School.
During the last 12 years CRT has grown through collaboration with associates in Charlotte, Washington DC, Atlanta, Houston and Iowa. Our associates bring unique subject expertise to the company and help design, market and escort our tours. Our home office staff also includes a tour designer, a financial and technical specialist, and a marketing and data management assistant.
Meet Us:
 |
Sandra Feldman is the owner, general manager, and lead tour designer. Sandra served as a Peace Corps Volunteer for 2 years in Costa Rica and as Director of a Peace Corps training program in Fiji. For the next 25 years, she worked as a specialist in organizational and community development in the U.S. and in 15 countries, primarily in Latin America. She also taught or administered educational programs at several universities. In 2007, the Charlotte chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) named Sandra its 2007 Business Owner of the Year. Sandra is a member of the Greater Charlotte Hospitality & Tourism Alliance (HTA)and was featured in a recent Charlotte Observer article. |
 |
Dr. Frank Rutowski, D.V.M., traveled with CRT as a passenger on our CR Variety Tour in 2005 and on a customized tour for his family in 2006. He says that since his first CRT tour, the wonderful country and people have become part of his heart. Frank joined CRT as an associate 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. Dr. Rutowski owns and operates Animal Care Hospital of Matthews (NC) and is one of the few local veterinarians with a special interest in birds, especially parrots. |
 |
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. As a CRT associate Donna markets and escorts our unique Tropical Cooking School & Tour in Costa Rica. |
 |
John Allensworth, Ph.D., received his doctoral degree in geography with a specialty in Latin America, earth science and Third World economic development. John was a faculty member at Kent State University for more than 25 years. He also taught geography at Georgia State University for 10 years until his retirement in 2011. John served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama and as a Peace Corps trainer for programs in the Dominican Republic, Peru and Honduras. 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 a CRT Associate, John co-designs and escorts customized tours in Costa Rica and Panama. |