Sanabria leads the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to make tourism a viable conservation tool -- one that protects the environment and promotes the well-being of local communities. A native of Costa Rica, Sanabria has worked with the tourism industry on certification, productivity, quality assurance and sustainability since 1992. He joined the Rainforest Alliance in 1998, first working with the sustainable agriculture division. Two years later, he began leading the development of the sustainable tourism program.

Sanabria has coordinated projects in a dozen Latin American countries, supporting sustainable tourism training and technical assistance for hundreds of tourism businesses and community-based operations while connecting them with the marketplace. He led the creation of the Sustainable Tourism Network of the Americas (STCNA), which today has more than a hundred members representing 25 countries in the Americas. He is a board member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and represents the Rainforest Alliance in the UN Global Sustainable Tourism Partnership.

Sanabria was the recipient of the 2008 EXPOTUR Friend of Nature Award in recognition of his efforts to promote sustainable tourism in Costa Rica. He was mentioned in Condé Nast Traveler’s “Power Issue” as one of the 10 most influential guardians of sustainable tourism. More recently, his team at the Rainforest Alliance was awarded The International Ecotourism Society’s Innovation Award.

Since 1992, Sanabria has taught at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Costa Rica. A Fulbright scholar, he holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Costa Rica and a Master's degree in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University. Sanabria speaks Spanish, English and Danish fluently.