A two-toed sloth is the new image of one Frontier Airline’s aircraft. The objective is to send a message of conservation awareness and to promote Costa Rica, in a creative way, as a destination with a wide range of biodiversity.
The head of Promotion of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), Ireth Rodriguez, explained the marketing of Costa Rica in the United States is done through a sustainable tourism model.
“We are honored that such an iconic species of our country and a national symbol, is now an ambassador of our nature every time it takes to the air on the tail of a Frontier aircraft,” she said.
“We are very pleased to honor our destination partner, Costa Rica, and highlight one of the unique and extraordinary species of sloths that call Costa Rica home. Our animal-decorated airplane tails not only delight adults and children alike, but serve an important purpose by highlighting animal species, many of which are endangered.
Some people come to Costa Rica just to see the sloths and our nonstop service from Orlando to Liberia and San Jose offers easy and affordable flight options for visitors to come see them, as well as for Costa Ricans to travel to the U.S.,” added Tyri Squyres, Frontier’s vice president of Marketing.
There was a long process to choose the best photograph. Once the ICT Marketing Department had the airline’s approval to decorate one of its aircraft with the image of a sloth, the company asked for a group of large format photographs to be sent to select the winner.
Costa Rican photographer Jesús Fung was in charge of capturing the images for the ICT, with the format and specifications sent by Frontier Airlines. More than 500 photos were submitted.
With the image of a sloth and an airplane flying through the sky, with a picture of this animal on its tail, Frontier announced its new addition.
“Say hello to the newest endangered species joining our fleet, the Two Toed Sloth!” mentioned the airline in a Facebook post.
“The Two Toed Sloth who has yet to be named, lives in the rainforests of Costa Rica and is known for its laid-back lifestyle, spending up to 20 hours of its day asleep. Even though they like to keep to themselves, they are an important part of the rainforest eco system, and their endangered status can prove problematic for the rainforest in Costa Rica,” Frontier stressed.
