By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


The Tourism Institute announced that it hosted more than 50 representatives of tourism companies in Europe to the province of Guanacaste to promote tourism to that province.

"The guests visited old houses and the museum of the city of Liberia and for six days they met in culture, customs and gastronomy," said the institute in its statement.

According to the institute, the guests also participated in a business conference with 74 tourism businessmen, mainly Guanacastecan and some from surrounding areas such as La Fortuna and Monteverde.

The guests were taken to tourist attractions such as the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, Sámara, Tamarindo, Carrillo, Punta Islita, Papagayo, Culebra Bay, Bebedero River, Tempisque and Celeste River, which is located in the Tenorio Volcano National Park, said the Institute.

The visit of European wholesalers is part of the Institute's strategy to promote the tourist attractions of Guanacaste in Spain, France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Germany.

According to the institute, in 2018, more than 480,000 people from Europe visited Costa Rica, which represents a growth of 3.85% of European tourists when compared to 2017.

The goal of the Institute is to attract new flights and more tourists from Europe to Guanacaste.

According to the statistics provided by the institute, during the first quarter of 2019, from January to March, the Daniel Oduber International Airport received 355,000 tourists.

"The Guanacaste region has a wide variety of attractions such as national parks, rivers, spaces for adventure tourism, sun and beach, among others," said the institute in its statement.

During 2018, of the total number of people who arrived in the country by air, almost 882,000 remained at least one night, in Guanacaste, which represents more than 38 percent.

"The numbers continue to grow steadily, as do flights and options that open continuously," the institute said.

For example, the new triangulated flight of the KLM airline that will connect Amsterdam with San José and Liberia starting  Oct. 29 was announced.


Related to the institute campaigns in Europe, as A.M. Costa Rica previously reported,  it has begun  to attract French tourists with 368 electric cars decorated with foliage similar to those of the rainforest being driven around the cities of Lyon and Bordeaux in France.

This project is part of a marketing strategy to give an idea of the Costa Rican tropical forest with plants, flowers, trees, butterflies, toucans, frogs, red barnacles, among others, as ornaments to decorate an electric car.

"The 100 percent Costa Rican campaign will be appreciated by thousands of potential French tourists in two strategic cities," said the Institute in its statement. "Electric vehicles were chosen because they represent environmentally friendly mobilization, and it is also an important attraction for those who love the nature that Costa Rica offers."

According to the Institute, the vehicles show images of the folk oxcart cart in the front, the name of Costa Rica stands out in a large format on the cover and the Essential Costa Rica country brand stands out on the doors of both sides. Those are to draw the attention of the other drivers and pedestrians who walk through the city.

"The presence of electric vehicles with the image of Costa Rica in France will show the country in a creative and visually attractive way," said Ireth Rodríguez, head of promotion. "The Institute has carried out a series of promotional and public relations projects in the French market to increase interest in destiny and to consolidate our image of a sustainable country that protects nature.”

The promotion of Costa Rica started during the autumn season with the electric cars rented to the QuadriPlay company. The campaign was designed by the Indigo agency that was hired by the institute.

As part of the campaign, a contest on social media was developed inviting people to take a selfie with the “cars of the tropical forest.” The photo must include a comment and share it on the Instagram platform. Those who send the image will participate in the raffle for a trip for two people to Costa Rica.

According to the Institute, the decision was made to driving these electric cars in Bordeaux because it is a key city located in the heart of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, southwest of France. That city is the second metropolis of that country in terms of population with 783 081 inhabitants.

It is also a destination recognized worldwide for the influx of French visitors and other European countries.

The institute said it decided to do the same campaign in the city of Lyon, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. According to the institute, that city has 1,381,349 inhabitants.

Both cities have more than 180 points for recharging electric cars and have a developed environmentally friendly public transport strategy due to the development of cycle paths and alternative of vehicles that run on electricity, said the institute.

"The profile of the citizens of both cities is of high income, the preferences of exploring a new destination and awareness for the care of nature and the environment," said the institute in its statement.

According to data provided by the institute, France is the main European tourist market in the country. This year 55,468 tourists arrived from France.

In 2018, more than 74,000 French came. The arrivals of French tourists went from 25,939 in 2006.

According to the institute's studies, 1.2 million French travelers have a high interest in vacationing in Latin America and the Caribbean and also they consider Costa Rica as a destination of interest.

"These potential tourists like sun and beach activities, observing flora and fauna, visiting volcanoes, hiking outdoors and enjoying the hot springs," said the institute in its statement.


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Which zone of the country should be promoted by the institute as a tourist destination? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
 

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