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Costa Rica Tourism Board
INSTITUTIONAL SITE

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) invites you to explore this dynamic platform, in which you can learn in detail about the area of activity of Costa Rica's leading tourism institution, with up-to-date information for all of your inquiries.

While you browse the sections of this site, which has been designed for you, you will discover the reach of the Board: tourist figures, the departments and divisions that make its work possible, sustainability certifications and the services the Board provides. Information such as the requirements for the tourism declaration and the participation in international trade fairs are just some of the material of interest that you will find among this website's content.

It is a privilege for us to serve you and to work together to strengthen the tourism industry, which drives development, foreign exchange and employment in Costa Rica, and is an engine of growth in its economy. As ICT employees, we are all proud to set ourselves to this difficult task every day, in partnership with the private sector.

Estadisticas

Statistics

Tourism Statistics

Every tourism indicator for Costa Rica in one place.

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Sostenibilidad

Sustainability

Tourism Sustainability

Our mission to protect the environment has made us stand out.

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Tramites

Procedures

and Citizen Information

Quick access list to every kind of ICT procedure and consultation.

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Esencial Costa Rica

Regional Offices

Where can you find us?

Our locations and what you can do in regional offices

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General Aspect

The Inter-institutional Commission on Marinas and Tourist Piers (CIMAT) was created in 1998, by Law 7744 and its Regulations. Its legal nature is that of a maximum degree independent body, affiliated to ICT, it also includes representatives from MOPT, MINAE, INVU, and HEALTH (Section 6 of the Law). It is the technical body specialized in the development of marinas and tourism piers.

As part of its attributions, it implements the necessary activities for the control, regulation, and surveillance of concessions, constructions, and operations of these kinds of projects in the country. One of its main functions is to provide technical advice regarding this topic to the Municipalities.

The Commission has a team of professionals from different fields, e.g. engineering, architecture, oceanography, biology, and law, from the Institutions that comprise it. This team evaluates the proposals, visits the sites, and recommends the approval or rejection of the proposals by CIMAT.

Definitions

What is a tourist marina?

The whole of facilities, sea or land, intended for the protection, shelter and provision of all kinds of services to recreational, tourist and sporting vessels, of any flag and independent of their as well as visitors and users of them, domestic or foreign.

What are tourist berths?

Tourist berths are landings, fixed or floating docks, ramps and other necessary works in order to allow the docking of tourist, recreational and sports vessels, for the enjoyment and safety of tourists.

What is a Concession?

It is the granting, by the municipalities, of an area of public domain such as in the maritime-terrestrial area and the adjacent area permanently covered by the sea, for the construction and operation of marinas and tourist berths.

The Investment Attraction Unit is in charge of assisting every possible investor in the tourism scope of the country. It is also responsible for relations with airlines and cruise companies.

For more information contact Lic. Hermes Navarro del Valle: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I. Invest in Costa Rica

If you wish to invest in the Costa Rican tourism sector, be it by building or buying a hotel, restaurant, theme park, or any other category within the tourism industry, the Investment Attraction Unit is the ideal place to begin your path to said investment. Here we provide general information about the country for investors, tourism statistics, and even a basic Power Point presentation about tourism in Costa Rica.

For more information contact Lic. Hermes Navarro del Valle: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

1. Investor Information

The ICT, in conjunction with the Costa Rican Coalition of Development Initiatives CINDE , has produced a document that seeks to address most concerns that a person who wants to invest in Costa Rica, you can download this document at the following link: http://www.cinde.org/

The Tourism Development Golfo de Papagayo is located in an area of 1,658 hectares, not including the public zone, registered to the Costa Rican State under the administration of the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), with the main objective of attracting national and international tourism, making the most of tourist resources in the region.

Thus, ICT, through the Operations Office, is in charge of the execution and development of the Project, for which it has the exclusive faculty of managing, coordinating, administering, and controlling the development of said project. Two large activities are the responsibility of this unit, one is the concession of the land acquired for the development of tourism projects, and the other is the construction of public infrastructure that allows the consolidation of said development.

Ing. Henry Wong Carranza
Executive Director of the Project

 

 

Historical Background

In 1965, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) established its policy to promote tourism development in Central America. The firm Porter International Co, located in Washington D.C. was hired to perform a study and obtain recommendations that would serve as the foundation of a Master Plan for Tourism in Central America.

Operations began in 1970 to identify the areas with greater tourist potential. The first joint meeting took place in Guatemala by the end of 1972, and it served to approve the "Regional Tourism Development Program" that established tourism development under certain objectives, targets, and alternatives, oriented towards vacation tourism, which would emphasize the enjoyment of nature and its sceneries (ecotourism).

"Tourist Developments" or first rate lodging zones, and second rate lodging zones or circuits with a development supported by the main destination were established in every country. In Costa Rica, "Bahía de Culebra" was chosen as the first rate lodging zone, today it is known as Golfo de Papagayo Tourism Development.

Bahía Culebra in Costa Rica was chosen as the most adequate site to begin a tourism development of sun-sea-sand lodgings, with privileged natural and cultural conditions, and possibilities of exploitation.

On April 1978, ICT approved the Technical, Economic, and Financial Feasibility Study, the Master Plan and Preliminary Design of the Bahía Culebra Tourism Project, performed by BEL Ingeniería, CEISA, Madriz Mezerville & Asociados, Checohi & Co.

On July 25, 1979, during the formal session of the Legislative Assembly in the city of Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, the first debate of the Bahía Culebra Tourism Development Law Project, Law 6370 was approved, and on July 31st of that same year, on the third debate said Law was approved officially and definitively, declaring of public interest the Golfo de Papagayo Tourism Development.

By 1982, Law 6758 was issued, Regulating Law of the Golfo de Papagayo Tourism Development and Implementation, and by 1995, the Regulation of the "General Master Plan of the Golfo de Papagayo Tourism Development " was published in the official newspaper La Gaceta”.

This regulation was modified during the publication of La Gaceta No. 84 on Wednesday, May 02, 2012, under the name“Amendment of the General Master Plan of the Golfo de Papagayo Tourism Development”.

The objective of the Retirement Fund for ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Board) Officials and Employees is to grant, as a supplementary pension, a unique benefit to its members in case of retirement due to permanent disability, pension, death or early retirement.

It originates under the protection of Article 44 in Organic Law N.1917 established on July 30, 1955, from which the ICT originates. It also establishes a Special Guarantee and Retirement Scheme that covers board officials and employees. The fund and its benefits have been in force since January 1, 1960.

This retirement fund is regulated by the ICT Organic Law, the Retirement Fund for ICT Officials and Employees Regulation, la Ley de Protección al Trabajador (the Worker’s Protection Law), la Superintendencia de Pensiones (the Superintendence of Pensions), el Reglamento de Regulación de los Regímenes de Pensiones (the Pension Schemes Regulation) created by Special Laws and Public Systems substituted by el Régimen de Invalidez, Vejez y Muerte (the Regime of Disability, Old Age, and Death), la Ley General de Control Interno (the General Law on Internal Policy), las Normas de Control Interno para el Sector Público (Internal Control Standards for the Public Sector), Reglamento sobre el Gobierno Corporativo (Corporate Governance Regulation), la Ley 8998 Protección de la Persona frente al tratamiento de sus datos personales (Law 8998 for Personal Information Protection).

MISSION: To be an entity aimed at economically protecting ICT officials and employees, as well as their families and beneficiaries in case of retirement due to pension, permanent disability, death or early retirement.

VISION: By 2020, the Retirement Fund for ICT Officials and Employees will become an entity which manages funds that economically protect employees of the board, and their families, after ending their service due to pension, permanent disability, death or early retirement.



 

The Human Resources Department is in charge of the processes needed to direct the human talent at Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (Costa Rican Institute of Tourism), starting with recruitment, selection, training, performance evaluation, rewards and the general well-being of the employees, all for the sake of productivity, transparency and the achievement of objectives and institutional goals.

Human Resources Structure Department
Instituto Costarricense de Turismo
July 2016

The Human Resources Work Sub Process Components are detailed as follows:

  • Strategic Level: Made up by Management and Coordination. It considers the existence of active human resources planning, at a short, medium and long term time span, which prioritizes the quantitative and qualitative needs, based on diagnostic tools in order to incorporate, in a centralized way, the priorities and strategic orientations with correct budget management.
  • Functional Level: Responsible for the execution of functions and their own sub process operations, related specifically with Employment, Organization of the work, Development, Compensation, Labor Relations and Personnel Services, made up by the practice of stages and functions of what each of them should develop, such as the quota functional support of the needed strategic level.

Human Resources Work Sub process:

Work Sub process

Has the function to manage the set of practices by which workers can accomplish the following: achievement with their training period and adjustment, perform brand registration, submit their validated degree certificates and proceed with the disengagement process to ICT. Likewise, it includes all the tasks related to the inhibited registration, caution, Declared Jurisdictions System and Final Management Reports requested by the Contraloría General de la Republica (Controller General of the Republic).

  • Induction: Formal and structured Induction process, that covers general ICT features, through which all new employees undergo.
  • Probationary period evaluation: Adjustment time for the employee with the company and their position. (First three months)
  • Work Attendance Control: Follow up with the established Autonomous Work Regulations and guidelines, associated with brand registration and exoneration, vacation and work from home time.
  • Career Review: Process that is followed to determine and dictate by means of a study, and the information related to the workers’ career background.
  • Disengagement: o Integrates the Human Resources policies and practices related to the termination of the working relationship, whether due to disciplinary causes, resignation, internal mobility or promotion (Transfers, relocations, promotions) or for retirement reasons. This element will have a support function for the Personnel Services process. (Proyecto de Jubilación de la Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social) (Retirement Project of the Costa Rican Social Security Office)

Information about available places

At this time there are no places available.



Job openings

At this time there are no Job openings

 

Informes Finales de Gestión

2014

 

Envío de hoja de vida

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Tourism in Costa Rica

Viistantes por MOtivo de Viaje Placer

75% travel for vacation purposes.

75% of the people visiting Costa Rica travel for vacation, pleasure, and leisure; while only 13% do so for professional and business purposes.

Más de 2 Millones de visitas anuales

More than 2 million visits per year.

Costa Rica has a constant visit growth year after year; and, it remains as the main destination of the Region.

Satuisfacción del Turísta

68% enjoy the sun and beaches of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica offers idyllic beaches in both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, becoming a favorite destination for this activity

Notes section

  • Costa Rica wins Best Sustainable Stand at the Fitur Tourism Fair in Spain
  • Juan Santamaría International Airport launches laboratory service for rapid COVID-19 testing
  • Entry limits to national parks reduced to 50%, with the exception of Volcán Poás national park
  • Safe and responsible Tourism in Protected Wildlife Areas
  • Costa Rica Convention Center acclaimed as one of the world’s best venues at the 2021 Eventex Awards
  • Costa Rica wins Best Sustainable Stand at the Fitur Tourism Fair in Spain

    • The award criteria included reusing materials and following public health protocols to combat COVID-19.
    • The fair began on May 19 and finished on Sunday.

    Friday, May 21, 2021. Madrid, Spain. Costa Rica received the Best Sustainable Stand award at the global tourism trade fair FITUR this Friday, which recognized the reuse of materials, the use of sustainable elements, energy savings, hiring local personnel and closely following public health protocols to combat COVID-19.

    Read more

  • Juan Santamaría International Airport launches laboratory service for rapid COVID-19 testing

    • Passengers will receive results in approximately one hour, allowing them to fulfil entrance requirements in certain countries that require the test.
    • Laboratorios Echandi will be in charge of operating the service.

    Beginning on May 14, the Juan Santamaría International Airport, under the administration of AERIS Costa Rica, will offer a rapid testing laboratory to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.

    Read more

  • Entry limits to national parks reduced to 50%, with the exception of Volcán Poás national park

    Measure announced by public health authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19.

    • Public health measures at visitor centers will remain in force.
    • Measures will apply from May 13-31, inclusive.

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  • Safe and responsible Tourism in Protected Wildlife Areas

    SINAC and ICT ask visitors to follow a series of recommendations for a safe visit.

    • Engaging in responsible and safe tourism in PWAs requires consistent action on the part of everyone involved.
    • SINAC and ICT have launched campaigns to promote respect for wildlife and visitor safety.
    • Use official websites to learn about the PWA that you will be visiting.
    • If travelling with a tour operator or guide, make sure that they have ICT certifications and/or the necessary operating permits.

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  • Costa Rica Convention Center acclaimed as one of the world’s best venues at the 2021 Eventex Awards

    • Convention Center received three major awards: gold in the “People’s Choice” category and bronze in the “Convention Center” and “Versatile Venue” categories.

    May 13, 2021. The Costa Rica Convention Center (CRCC) continues to stand out for its quality services, operations and infrastructure. It most recently received three accolades in the 11th Eventex Awards, a global awards ceremony for events and experiential marketing from around the world.

    Read more