Costa Rica promotes itself in Paris and participates in the most important tourism fair in France

Costa Rica returns from October 3 to 5 to the IFTM Top Resa tourism fair in Paris, one of the largest travel and tourism exhibitions in the world and the most important in France, with the goal of continuing to attract local tourists. second European market in importance for our country. The last national presence at this event occurred in 2019, prior to the pandemic.

As part of the promotional actions, a promotional campaign was activated in the Paris Montparnasse, Paris Nord, Paris Lyon and Paris St Lazare metro and train stations, through 230 screens that project a video of Costa Rica, from 6 of the tomorrow at one in the morning, along with three large illustrations of Costa Rica on the three canvases located in the heart of the Parisian Montparnasse station from October 3 to 9.

These stations offer regional, national and international travel connections, allowing the promotion of Costa Rica to reach thousands of people. In addition, the Paris Montparnasse station is an ideal place to communicate during the IFTM fair by hosting metro line 12, which serves the Porte de Versailles station, IFTM Top Resa metro stop.

In addition to this, the Minister of Tourism William Rodríguez was invited to participate on October 3 in the “International Panorama” exhibition, held for the first time in the history of the event, with the presence of tourism leaders from different countries and Zurab. Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the UNWTO. The topic presented was “Changes and resilience”, focused on responsible tourism, so the minister talked about the successful examples of sustainability and responsible travel implemented in our country, as well as the best practices to inspire other nations to promote it and create awareness among tourists.

"We are delighted to participate again in the prestigious Top Resa Fair. Aware of the growing expectation among French consumers and wholesalers, we celebrate the opportunity to present the captivating offer of Costa Rica. Our country, appreciated by French tourists, stands out for its lush nature, a wide range of activities for all tastes and the authenticity of travel experiences. From couples trips to family adventures, from friendship to solo exploration, Costa Rica offers a unique destination. We appreciate the air connection, Costa Rican hospitality and our firm commitment to environmental sustainability, aspects that continue to attract visitors to our beautiful country," said William Rodríguez, Minister of Tourism of Costa Rica.

El 32% de los franceses se inspiran en su decision de viajes basados en la información proporcionada por las oficinas de turismo y sus páginas webs, mientras el 44% también lo hace con información facilitada por el boca a boca o una recomendación familiar, de ahí que la participación en Top Resa busca facilitarles la escogencia del destino de sus próximas vacaciones.

Otras acciones de promoción

Para tener más visibilidad, el ICT se asoció con el medio especializado de turismo TourMag, principal medio de comunicación presente en Top Resa y sitio web ideal para profesionales francófonos del turismo, operadores turísticos, agencias de viajes, compañías aéreas y hoteleros, para compartir contenido de interés de nuestro país.

A series of meetings and interviews have also been organized throughout the fair to publicize the news of the destination, the measures that are being taken to develop this sector and preserve the natural and authentic wealth of the country, as well as the upcoming strategies. to promote Costa Rica in the French market through appointments scheduled for ICT representatives with the press, industry partners, tour operators, airlines, among others. Every year, during the fair, a networking event is organized to talk with different partners and tour operators and this year it is sponsored by Costa Rica.

Finally, this October 4, the Minister of Tourism will attend a press conference with the presence of between 15 and 20 journalists, to whom he will explain what Costa Rica has to offer French tourists.

Top Resa, as this fair is popularly known, is organized every year by Reed Expositions France, a subsidiary of Reed Exhibitions, a world leader in the organization of commercial events, at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center, attracting 31 thousand professional visitors and more. of 1,600 exhibitors and brands during the three days of the event. France is the second source of travelers to the country from Europe; between January and August of this year, 49,624 tourists visited us by air, 11.5% more than in the same period in 2022.

Source: ICT.