INDEX 05 07 09 16 MINISTER OF COSTA RICA IN INTERNATIONALS COSTA RICA TOURISM THE WORLD FIGHTS CONVENTION CENTER redThis for signature cocktail 18 20 26 27 THEATERS & DMC´s PCO´s HOTELS MUSEUMS SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDMENT: The Costa Rica Convention Bureau thanks its associated companies and the professionals who graciously supported this publication by allowing the use of COSTA RICA CONVENTION INSTITUTO COSTARRICENSE their amazing photographic material. BUREAU DE TURISMO • Adrián Gómez, artist Calle 38 y 40, av.2, Paseo Colón Oficina central en San José, • Cámara Costarricense de la Salud- Edificio ASG, II Piso, Oficina 18 costado este del Puente Juan PROMED San José, Costa Rica. Pablo II, Autopista General Cañas. • Garrett Britton, photographer • Hotel Real InterContinental San José +506 2221-3753 / +506 2256-4216 +506 2299-5800 / +506 2291-4645 • Instituto Costarricense de Turismo [email protected] [email protected] (ICT) www.costaricacvb.com www.ict.go.cr • Octametro P.O. Box 111-1007 Centro Colon, P.O. Box 777-1000 San José, • Premio DMC y Premio M&E San Jose, Costa Rica Costa Rica Nineth Edition – 2017 All rights reserved. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATIONS Produced by Costa Rica Convention Bureau, 2 with the support of the Costa Rica Tourism 3 Board and its associated companies. COSTA RICA, A PROFITABLE DESTINATION FOR MEETING TOURISM Meeting Tourism is an extremely dynamic industry that has to compete globally in the meeting industry, including shown soaring growth around the world. The World Tourism participating in specialized tourism fairs, forming partnerships Organization endorses it, stating that it offers countless with important national and international organizations, benefits to local economies and its accelerated growth developing a promotional plan for entering this niche, and the encourages competition between countries. hiring of world-class expert advisors, among other aspects. This kind of tourism breaks out of the seasonality the tourism Our objective is to pave the way and compete with our sector faces, since the biggest boom months for this industry National Congress and Convention Center as a visible leader are precisely the low season months in our country. in the global meeting tourism industry. The benefits of this national project will permeate the entire territory by providing In addition, Meeting Tourism requires making pre- and employment, promoting real estate development, generating post-meeting tours, attracting tourists whose average daily productive links and substantially improving the country’s spending is three times greater than that of travelers who visit image as a consolidated tourism destination. Costa Rica for leisure or pleasure; in other words, it attracts tourists who spend more, arrive in the low season, and Construction began on the Center this year and it will be consume diverse tourist products during their stay. inaugurated in 2018. As a result, it has become a catalyst for tourism activity and as For this reason, Costa Rica represents a profitable destination a country (public and private sectors), a series of actions have for the meeting industry and we hope that this important been taken to compete strongly for this important market by Guide will become an essential consultation tool, providing complementing the country’s competitive advantages such the information you need for arranging meeting and incentive as its strategic location, favorable climate, social and political travel events in our country. stability, and robust tourism offer, among many other virtues. Mauricio Ventura Aragón Since 2015, we have been promoting an aggressive strategy Minister of Tourism of Costa Rica 4 5 Costa Rica enjoys a privileged location on the planet, in the center of the Central American Isthmus between 82° and 86° West longitude and 8° and 12° North latitude. As neighbors, it has Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the southeast; its eastern shore is on Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean is on the west. include 33 national parks, 8 biological Due to its location in reserves, 61 wildlife refuges, 14 the tropical belt of the wetlands and some private reserves. planet, Costa Rica has Cocos Island National Park, the an abundance of diverse Guanacaste Conservation Area and the species and a climate with La Amistad Reserve in the Talamanca moderate temperatures mountain range have been declared year-round. WORLD HERITAGE SITES by UNESCO. Costa Rica is home to more than Costa Rica is a tropical country with 10,000 species of plants and trees, several climatic zones and a great 850 species of resident, migratory, diversity of microclimates, each with endemic and endangered birds, 205 its own characteristics. The country’s mammal species, more than 35,000 annual average temperature ranges insect species, 160 amphibian species, from 22° C (71° F) to 27° C (81° F). The more than 220 species of reptiles, and sun shines all year round, about 12 over 1000 species of freshwater and salt hours a day, and there are only two water fish. seasons: the dry season (with less rain) from December to May, and the rainy Official Name: Republic of Costa Rica season (with abundant greenery) from May to November. Capital: San José Languages: Spanish (Official), English is widely spoken The broad range of tourist attractions 2 2 and rich biological diversity distributed Territorial Area: 51,100 km (19,730 mi ) throughout the territory benefit from a Time zone: GMT-6 (Central Standard Time in the US) pleasant climate that allows visitors to 4,890,00 inhabitants enjoy many activities year-round. Even Population: though it occupies only 0.03% of the Currency: Colón (₡, CRC – Approximately ₡550 per US dollar) world’s land surface, Costa Rica is home Workforce: 2.21 million to almost 4% of the world’s species, making it one of the top 20 countries Gross Domestic Product GDP: US$ 56 billion with the highest biodiversity in the Education expenditure: 6.3% of GDP world. Health expenditure: 11% of GDP The country has given 26% of its lands Armed forces expenditure: 0% of GDP “protected area” status; these areas (Costa Rica has not had military forces since 1948) 7 1 EXCELLENT AIR CONNECTIONS Excellent air connections and Juan Santamaría Airport is the frequent flights from Europe and second best on the Central the American continent have helped American isthmus, according to make Costa Rica a convenient hub the Skytrax ranking (World Airport in the Central American region. Awards 2015), in aspects of quality and general passenger experience. Currently, 24 airlines serve Juan INTERNATIONAL FIGHTS TO COSTA RICA Santamaría International Airport In early 2017, The Official Airline (SJO), with regular non-stop flights Guide of London and FlightStats to more than 36 destinations unveiled their punctuality rankings AIRLINE TO SAN OSE FROM TO LIBERIA FROM AIRLINE TO SAN OSE FROM TO LIBERIA FROM around the world. In addition, for the world, with outstanding AEROMEXICO Meico City - IBERIA Madrid - Daniel Oduber Quirós International companies operating in Costa Airport (LIR) in Guanacaste is Rica, such as COPA Airlines, Alaska AIR CANADA Montreal, Toronto Montreal, Toronto INTERET Meico City - serviced by 12 airlines with regular Airlines and Iberia. Fort Lauderdale Boston flights to 17 destinations. AIR FRANCE Paris - ETBLUE Olando New or AIR PANAM Panama City - KLM Amsterdam - AIR TRANSAT Montreal, Toronto Montreal, Toronto SANSA - Rivas Baltimore, Houston ALASKA AIRLINES Los Angeles Los Angeles SOUTHWEST Baltimore, Houston Los Angeles AMERICAN Charlotte, Dallas, Miami Charlotte, Dallas, SPIRIT Fort Lauderdale - AIRLINES Philadelphia, Phoeni Miami Bogota, Guatemala, SUN COUNTRY - Minneapolis Lima, Managua, Panama City San Salvador AVIANCA San Andres, San Salvador, SUNWING - Montreal, Toronto Tegucigalpa THOMSON AIRWAYS - London BRITISH AIRWAYS London - Newar, Washington Denver, Newar, UNITED CONDOR Munich, Francfort - Houston, Chicago Houston, Chicago Voaris Cancun, Guadalaara - Guatemala, Managua COPA Panama City, Panama City Tegucigalpa Westet Toronto Calgary, Toronto Atlanta, New or, Atlanta, New or, DELTA Los Angeles, Los Angeles Minneapolis Edeiss urich - 8 9 2 HIGH TECHNOLOGY 3 HIGH QUALITY HEALTH SERVICES Costa Rica has become a center of In addition, the country has a robust The Costa Rican healthcare system is According to the 2014 International operations for large multinational electricity grid supplied by renewable financed through the Social Security Living Index, Costa Rica ranks fourth companies, largely because it has a energies including geothermal, wind system and the general taxes collected in the world for best quality health very high quality technological platform and hydroelectric. by the State, and it is inspired by the services. The study noted, “It has and highly qualified professionals. principles of universality, equality the highest quality, affordable For this reason, United States and In 2017, the country ranked 49th on and equity, which have produced healthcare and is known as one of European companies demand software the list of 143 economies with respect highly successful health indexes. As the most peaceful countries in Latin manufactured in the country; moreover, to the adoption of Information and of December 2015, Costa Rica had America (having enjoyed more than Costa Rica is a leader in the production Communication Technologies (ICT), 29 hospitals consisting of 3 national 60 years of uninterrupted democratic of medical technology in Latin America. achieving the highest rate of internet hospitals, 7 regional hospitals, 6 government).” access (58% of the population) in Latin specialized hospitals and 13 peripheral We also have an excellent America. hospitals. telecommunications network with very affordable rates for Internet services Growth in the use of social networks has and free access to online information, been reported for most socioeconomic which is why Costa Rica is the best- levels in Costa Rica. These digital connected country in Central America platforms are becoming an important Life expectancy 79.6 according to the World Economic part of day-to-day transactions, at birth Forum’s 2015 Global Report on commerce and communication in Costa Information Technology.