The Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) has been clear on its interest of promoting Costa Rica as a destination for meetings, conventions and congresses particularly after the inauguration of the National Congress and Convention Center that will be ready by April 5th this year; for ICT the goal is simple, to snatch the leading position in this type of tourism from the current regional leader, Panama.

Panama has been the leader in attracting conventions and congresses in the Central American and Caribbean region for many years according to the International Congress and Convention Association, and Costa Rica has been quickly moving up the rankings with the increase in the number of airlines flying to the country and the improvements in infrastructure.

Promotional campaigns, ambassadors that will help promote the country and the strengthening of the Conventions Bureau are some of the strategies that ICT is implementing to take an important piece of this important market, that moves and approximate $11 billion a year.

“Costa Rica is arriving late to this table, in comparison to other countries, but it has a name, a brand that is well received around the world: for over 30 years it has been positioned in the tourism market. Today it is recognized as a leader in sustainable tourism by the World Tourism Organization, with this credentials we enter the meetings tourism formally”, stated Mauricio Ventura, Minister of Tourism.

Costa Rica has taken part in specialized fairs and has created promotional campaigns for the past two years both in America and Europe. Last year the country received the most important award at the Fiexpo Fair of South America for its proposal as an important destination in the meeting tourism industry.

The ambassadors program has also been in place for some time, and currently has over 100 trained ambassadors. “When they (associations and institutions) take part in congresses or events out of the country, the ambassadors present the possibility of doing the next event in Costa Rica”, explained Ventura.

“We see the Convention Center as an anchor, but the idea is that in these processes we attract events to the country, some will take place in the Convention Center, others in different places. We will have a support system between the parts, because the Convention Center doesn’t have a hotel, so it will generate nights of occupation in other hotels and activity, so its complimentary”, said Ventura.

The first event that will take place at the National Congress and Convention Center will be the Expotur.