A group of 27 Costa Rican businesses including hotels, tour operators and car rental agencies are featuring their services at this year’s International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Germany, the world’s largest tourism fair, which started on Wednesday.
Coordinated by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), the country also will unveil its European launch of “Essential Costa Rica,” Costa Rica’s official tourism brand, at the ITB from March 5-9.
The 2013 edition of the fair featured more than 10,000 exhibitors from 188 countries, and attracted 170,000 visitors.
This year, Costa Rican participants will exhibit handicrafts and offer Tico food, while the ICT will host performances and folkloric dances and will meet with members of the press.
The fair also will help businesses reach potential markets in Asia and Latin America, as the 2013 edition saw an increase in visitors from these regions, event organizers said on their website.
The first three days of the ITB are open for travel wholesalers only, and the last two days will be open for the general public.
Tourism Minister Allan Flores said the presentation of Costa Rica’s brand in Europe follows a similar presentation in the U.S. during the New York Times Travel Show.
The ICT also promoted the brand campaign to U.S. audiences during the 2014 Winter Olympics.
