The Costa Rica Ambassadors Program: a strategy to strengthen meeting tourism
Promoted by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute and the Costa Rica Convention Bureau, it seeks to involve local leaders with international prestige to attract national and international events to the country
The program seeks to provide local leaders with a set of activities, tools, and services so they can participate in upcoming national, regional, and international events held in the country. The goal is for these leaders to support the destination and lead the process of increasing the number of meetings held in the country.
In the context of the tourism sector, and meeting tourism in particular, ambassadors are expected to be highly knowledgeable, prestigious, and influential individuals in their field, so they can act as representatives and advocates for Costa Rica as a destination.
The Ambassadors Program was developed to lead outreach to various sectors, including NGOs and government, the corporate, sports, and academic sectors, as well as social, military, educational, religious, and fraternal organizations (SMERF). It seeks to engage individuals with high-level connections in these fields who can initiate the process of generating opportunities.
This strategy is based on the presence of Costa Rican professionals with local and international prestige, the ICT's goal of attracting meeting tourism, the country's positioning as a destination with first-class infrastructure, and the construction of the Convention Center, which allows it to compete for large-scale events.