Inside Costa Rica’s new Conventions Center

Costa Rica’s new National Conventions Center, located in Barreal de Heredia, is open for business.

The new facility, which required an investment of $35 million, aims to boost Costa Rica’s competitiveness as a global tourism destination by allowing the country to host major conferences. The building spans 15,600 square meters on a 10 hectare lot. The center has eight halls, six meeting rooms, a press room, a VIP room, and a culinary facility, among other offerings.

The two main halls, Talamanca One and Talamanca Two, have a capacity of 4,600 people.

Courtesy of ICT

Costa Rica's National Convention Center. Courtesy of ICT

According to El Financiero, Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura said at the inauguration of the new facility on April 5 that the Center took 15 years to construct when it should’ve taken only one.

The facility is designed to help the country attract a lucrative form of tourism: visitors who come to the country for a conference or congress spend three times more than what a leisure tourist would spend during a trip to Costa Rica, El Financiero reported.

Courtesy of ICT

Courtesy of ICT

The center also features parking for up to 1,000 vehicles, solar panels and a business center.

For more on the new facility, visit the Convention Center’s website.