Costa Rica is rolling out a new tourism campaign aimed at strengthening its presence in Canada’s two largest markets, Toronto and Montreal.


The Tourism Institute (ICT) has unveiled “Pura Vida Energy,” a multi-platform campaign designed to draw more Canadian visitors by highlighting the country’s natural beauty, wellness experiences, and sustainable tourism options.


The campaign includes television commercials, digital billboards on busy city avenues, subway advertising, and high-visibility placements in pedestrian zones and along major highways. Social media promotions will complement the push, ensuring broad exposure and repeat engagement with Canadian audiences.


“For the ICT, it’s a priority to launch innovative initiatives in our main source markets,” said Marcela Bonilla, ICT’s director of advertising. “Right now, there’s strong competition among global destinations to capture the attention of international travelers. For Costa Rica, Canada is a strategic market, not only because of its high purchasing power, but also because Canadians are drawn to the natural and sustainable experiences our country offers.”


The campaign is geared toward Canadian travelers ages 25 to 55, digitally connected, mobile-savvy tourists who seek trips that combine nature, wellness, sustainability, and authentic experiences.

Promotional visuals carry messages such as “Plug into nature” and “Inhale beauty, exhale clarity.” The effort also features a central video spot and large-scale digital advertising.

According to the ICT, the campaign is expected to generate more than 29 million impressions and drive significant traffic to the institute’s website.

ICT hired Bell Media, an advertising company, which has access to over 10 million mobile devices in Canada, allowing the campaign’s out-of-home placements to reach targeted audiences with precision.

Between January and July of this year, more than 150,000 Canadians traveled to Costa Rica by air.

With the high season approaching, that number is expected to grow, fueled by new routes from Porter Airlines and direct flights from Air Canada, Air Transat, and WestJet out of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg.

In related events, WestJet recently announced two new nonstop routes connecting Canada with Costa Rica, further expanding travel options.

In 2024, Costa Rica welcomed more than 2.6 million international arrivals by air, a 7% increase from the previous year.

Tourism also generated over $5.4 billion in foreign exchange earnings for the country in 2024.

The ICT is the government agency responsible for promoting Costa Rica abroad and supporting tourism-related infrastructure.

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