In this context, Travel2latam had the opportunity to talk with Carolina Trejos, Marketing Director of the ICT, Costa Rican Tourism Institute.
What expectations do you come to this fair with and what are the objectives?
We have seen a rebound in the Colombian market in Costa Rica in the vacation sector since more or less 2021. We wanted to come this year formally as the Tourism Institute because we knew that other businessmen were coming. It is the first time we have put up a stand and the response has been wonderful. We seek two main objectives: the first is to show Colombia a different Costa Rica. We had not previously invested in communication in Colombia and the perception of the product here was not up to date. And the second great objective is to approach wholesalers and agencies, provide training, explain the destination, give them all the tools they require to be able to recommend us and start a support relationship.
Colombia is a country that shares many natural attributes with you and surely a Colombian can feel very comfortable visiting Costa Rica...
This is a great advantage for us. Colombia is a wonderful country and, as you said, it has almost the same thing that we have. The only difference is that we have everything a little more concentrated in 52,000 km2, which allows the Colombian to have that experience in a shorter time and in a smaller space. We have a fantastic culture and level of services and remarkable gastronomy. There is even a large Colombian colony in Costa Rica established in recent years, which also allows us to make Colombians feel at home. We are two cultures that are very similar and we get along very well, so we know that you will have a good time visiting our country.
How is the promotion year going for you?
From here we flew to Berlin to ITB, and then to IMEX in Frankfurt. It is a very busy semester and a push for destiny. For us these fairs are very beneficial, this high season has been one of the best in terms of visitation, so we know that a large part of this result is due to this investment, not only of money, but of time, travel and work. human.
How do you imagine 2024 will close for you?
The big goal is to grow 5%. This would leave us more or less at almost 3 million passengers by air, which represents close to 90% of the total. We are going to be around 3 million two hundred by the end of the year.
Which regions do you think are developing most strongly in the country?
There is a lot of emerging. The destinations that are already consolidated are Guanacaste, Monteverde, Arenal, Tortuguero, and they practically sell themselves, because you can't get to Costa Rica without going through there. But we have been helping communities, like Turrialba in Cartago or San Gerardo de Dota, which is a wonderful place where you can understand and be part of the coffee and chocolate culture of Costa Rica. As for the future, we see it developing towards the Caribbean and the South Pacific.