By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


The first edition of the World Meetings Forum Sustainable Edition 2019 will take place from today until Thursday in the National Convention Center in the province of Heredia. The Tourism Institute announced the session and said the forum was generated by its goal of promoting Costa Rica as a destination in the event industry,

The theme of the forum is the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

Among the special speakers are:

-Natalia Lever, director for Latin America of Climate Reality Project, an organization founded by Al Gore, who received the Nobel Prize for his stand against climate change.

- Carlos López, director for Latin America of Wizards Without Borders.

- Rosario Marín, former treasurer of the United States.

The Forum is a platform that seeks to generate business for attendees through four pillars: business, learning experience, work networks or networking and a clear social contribution, said the institute.

The development of this event in Costa Rica is a product of the actions carried out by the institute to achieve the expected positioning of the country in the meeting niche.

"Costa Rica is a destination that offers a complete and varied infrastructure aligned to sustainability for international meeting planners," said Rafael Henández, president of the forum.

According to the Institute, the industry of meetings constitutes one of the main engines of development of the countries, therefore, it is an important source of income, employment and investments, representing 22 percent worldwide.

People who travel and participate in forums are of high economic power, spend 3 to 4 times more than a traditional tourist and is a repetitive customer as they try to return to the destination with the aim of vacationing, said the institute.

On Oct. 8, as A.M. Costa  Rica reported, international representatives who want to take action on the climate met at the National Convention Center. The session is called PreCOP25 because it is a precursor for 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference



The U. N. Climate Change Conference will be held in Chile in December.

“The PreCOP25 is the last meeting prior to the COP where the processes of negotiations and political agreements are defined,” said Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, minister of Environment and Energy.

According to the government report, the participation of 1,500 people is expected. Of these, about 800 are residents interested in the subject, said the ministry.

"Among the people who attended the event, there were representatives of international organizations, local governments, communities, the private sector, and Costa Ricans interested in climate action who will learn and share experiences," said the ministry in its statement.

In the activity, there were forums, talks, conferences, round tables, political dialogues and panels.

According to Rodríguez, there are two important issues on which countries have agreed: the need to abandon the actions that cause a climate crisis and the urgency of adapting to the damage that climate change already caused.

According to the ministry, the search for solutions to accelerate decarbonization and resilience will revolve in three thematic areas: cities-sustainable mobility, nature-based solutions, and the so-called blue economy.




------------------------------------
What should the institute do to increase the convention tourism in Costa Rica?  We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
 

---

---

---

---