Published on Wednesday, June 17, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rica is intensifying efforts to attract more visitors from the United States through a series of international promotional initiatives, including participation in the Outside Days Festival in Denver, in the U.S. State of Colorado, the Tourism Institute (ICT) announced.

Organized by Outside Inc., the festival brings together between 35,000 and 50,000 attendees to celebrate outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship. The event features live music performances, adventure films, speaker panels and interactive experiences.

According to the ICT, the festival provided an ideal platform to showcase the wide range of outdoor activities available throughout Costa Rica.

Tourists visiting Costa Rica overwhelmingly favor ecotourism and adventure travel. Among the most popular outdoor activities are hiking, zip-lining, surfing, white-water rafting and wildlife viewing in the country's national parks, among many others.

"Hundreds of potential American tourists experienced an immersive and interactive ropes course that quickly became one of the event's most popular attractions," the ICT said in a statement.

The outreach effort is part of Costa Rica's broader strategy to increase tourism from the United States, which remains the country's largest source of international visitors.

ICT statistics show that more than 556,000 travelers arrived in Costa Rica by air from the United States during the first quarter of 2026.

Costa Rica's participation in the Outside Days Festival is part of a larger campaign to expand the country's international tourism presence. Earlier this month, the ICT launched a promotional initiative targeting British travelers through a feature on Costa Rica published in the latest edition of National Geographic Traveller UK.

Several U.S. airlines are expanding service to Costa Rica. Delta Air Lines recently announced a new nonstop route between the United States and Costa Rica, providing additional air connectivity between the two countries.

Costa Rica’s tourism industry has continued to expand in recent years. The country recorded more than 2.6 million air arrivals in 2025.

The ICT is the government agency responsible for promoting Costa Rica's tourism industry.

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