Canatur and the Costa Rican Federation of Sport Fishing, FECOP, have launched a joint campaign aimed at boosting voter turnout in Costa Rica’s coastal communities and tourism zones ahead of the country’s next presidential election.
The effort ties into the national civic campaign ¡Qué lindo vivir en demoCRacia! (How Beautiful It Is to Live in demoCRacy), led by the civic association Costa Rica Íntegra and the Leadership Incubator +Costa Rica. Organizers say the broader initiative is meant to promote democratic values, strengthen citizen participation, and encourage Costa Ricans to vote.
Canatur and FECOP said their coastal-focused push is intended to cut abstention in regions where turnout has historically lagged, particularly among tourism workers and people tied to marine-related jobs. In the last presidential election, national abstention reached 43.2%, while coastal provinces reported higher rates: 50.3% in Guanacaste, 52.7% in Puntarenas, and 53.3% in Limón.
“Costa Rican democracy is strengthened when more people participate, including those working in coastal and tourism sectors, which are vital to national development,” said Shirley Calvo, Canatur’s executive director. Calvo said the campaign is meant to encourage participation “in a positive and respectful way.”
FECOP’s director of conservation and public policy, Damián Martínez, framed the initiative as an economic and sustainability issue as well as a civic one. “Blue economy activities such as sport fishing tourism can only grow if coastal communities participate in national decision-making,” Martínez said. “Encouraging voting along the coast is a commitment to development, sustainability, and real democracy.”
A key message is directed at tourism employers, who are being asked to plan staffing and operations so workers can vote on election day. “Elections take place on a high-demand Sunday for tourism,” Calvo said. “That’s why we urge employers to organize so no one has to choose between their job and their civic right.”
Organizers said the campaign will feature a series of short audiovisual interviews with tourism workers and coastal residents, focused on personal reflections about democracy, voting, and past elections. Participants include people from hotels, fishing operators, surf schools, and restaurants. The interviews are designed around spontaneous questions about civic life and the importance of informed voting.
Mauricio Artiñano, coordinator of the Interparty Ethical Pact and the ¡Qué lindo vivir en demoCRacia! campaign, said the Canatur–Fecop alliance expands the reach of the message beyond the Central Valley and into communities with distinct economic realities tied to tourism and the sea.
Juan Guillermo Murillo, executive director of +Costa Rica, said the partnership also highlights a role for the private sector in strengthening democratic participation, calling higher turnout an investment in the country’s stability and prosperity.
