By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Costa Rica Gastronomic Summit is taking place this week at the National Convention Center in Heredia Province.

The event is organized by the National Chefs Association in collaboration with the Tourism Institute to promote Costa Rican cuisine and culinary education in the country.

The event's organizer, Karol Alfaro-Ceciliano, hailed it as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to bring significant industry actors together. "Such activities are essential to Costa Rica's image as a premier gourmet tourist destination," she added.

Cuisine, according to the Institute, is one of the most strong travel motivators for international visitors.  "Tourists visit the nation to enjoy a delicious gastronomic experience based on 100% Costa Rican dishes," they said in its statement.

The summit features well-known Costa Rican chefs, including Santiago Fernández de Silvestre, the country's culinary ambassador, and Diego Mondragón, a Michelin-starred chef.

The event gathered 100 people, including chefs, food service operators, food producers, and experts in food, flavor creation, cooking, and agriculture.

Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Costa Rica. So far this year, over 1.7 million tourists arrived in the country via air, representing a 13.5% increase over the same period in 2023.

The country reported a new tourism record reached in 2023, with more than 2,4 million travelers.