Costa Rica Business Tourism

Costa Rica's pull factor for business tourism is set to get a needed boost this month


Costa Rica's pull factor for business tourism is set to get a boost this month, industy sector reports.

Latin America's congress consortium, COCAL, is hosting a major business event in San José Costa Rica from March 10 to 14, inviting some 250 companies dedicated to drawing conferences and other business events (see www.cocalcostarica2009.com/bienvenida.htm.)

Better than 14 percent of Costa Rica's travellers are here travelling on business, Leonel Bonilla said. Leonel Bonilla president of the Association of Professional Organizers of Congresses and Related Events of Costa Rica. He said, costa rica currently has “inadequate development in the business tourism field in relation to other Central American countries.”

Guatemala, Panama and El Salvador have concentrated their efforts toward attracting business events, building convention centers big enough to house major international congresses. These countries also have created specific policies directed at promoting themselves as prime business travel destinations, Bonilla said.

Costa Rica will take advantage of its “natural attractiveness, international prestige, strategic location and air travel accessibility” to improve its standing in the market, he said.

Several leading marketing companies, such as Day Group Services, has reported an increase in business inquiriers, and requestes for business cunsulting services from American based business looking to move operations here to Costa Rica, to take advantage of the many opportunities Costa Rica has to offer. These include an inexpensive, highly educated, young workforce, Free Zone, as well as an attractive, real estate market.