Performs activities related to the creation, update, and follow-up of the National Development Plan for tourism, and other plans and policies.

Objective of the department:

Performs activities related to the creation, update, and follow-up of the National Development Plan for Tourism, and other plans and policies that make it up

Some of its tasks are:

Provide support to municipal governments in relation to the creation and revision of Coastal Regulation Plan Proposals, issuing technical recommendations to the Board of Directors for the approval of national coastal planning; participate in coastal planning creation processes promoted by other institutions or organizations of the accredited state for this purpose.

Participate in technical training processes of municipal employees in concessions and formalization of concession dossiers.

Use Systems designed for concession dossier revision processes, use specialized software to perform its tasks like Geographic Information Systems to perform national planning tasks, in both, coastal zones and the interior of the country, use Global Positioning Systems, and Autocad.

Create and update of General and Development Tourism Plans in the Tourism Planning Units.

Train coastal municipalities in the interpretation processes of the valid Regulatory Plans.

This department provides information and assistance to the tourism sector. It also develops programs to ensure foreign and national tourists are satisfied and that their stay in the country or region is enjoyable.

The department’s activities include:

• Providing assistance to foreign and national tourists at tourism information centers, including emergency assistance. Providing supporting materials and orientation according to requests.
• Providing information and assistance to tourists in digital formats.
• Coordinating and publishing informative material for tourists.
• Receiving and processing complaints by tourists about services provided by tourism businesses.
• Coordinating and servicing tourism signage, including informative signage for roadways and preventive signage at beaches and other high-risk areas that pose a danger to tourists.
• Coordinating security issues that affect tourists during their stay in the country.
• Coordinating tourist safety programs with the Public Security Ministry and the Judicial Investigation Police.
• Coordinating security issues with the appropriate embassies located in the country.
• Coordinating with the Red Cross on the Aquatic Prevention and Rescue program at the most popular tourist beaches.
• Interagency coordination on preventive safety via the National Commission on Tourist Safety (CONSETUR).

Tourist information offices authorized by the ICT are as follows:

Central San José Information Office

Address: Central Avenue, between 1st and 3rd streets, across from Librería Lehmann, in the Cultural Ministry’s Academies Building.
Ph.. 2222-1090
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport Tourist Information Office

Location: Liberia
Ph.. 2668-0095
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Central Building Information Office

Address: La Uruca, east side of the Juan Pablo II Bridge
Ph. 2299-5827

Tourist information available at our offices includes:

• Maps.
• Cultural Activities.
• Biodiversity.
• Adventure Activities.
• Safety and prevention material for tourists.

Properly manages the resources of the Institution to maximize their usage, so that the different areas comply with their functions, strictly adhering to the valid legislation.

Ensure the proper use of the financial and administrative resources through the appropriate support of the substantive areas of the Institution.

Objective of the Process:

Offer supporting services to contribute in the compliance of institutional tasks, preserve the good state of fixed and intangible assets, and establish measures to guarantee the physical integrity of employees and visitors through continuous improvement of the buildings. Some of his tasks are:

• Facilitate general services required for the execution of activities that have been appointed to other dependencies of the Institute.
• Administer refurbishments and/or improvements in the facilities, according to the demands of Institute collaborators.
• Provide water, electricity, telephone, terrestrial transport inside the country, surveillance, and cleaning services, as well as other services that guarantee an optimal stay for both, the employees and the users of the institution (procurement and maintenance of air conditioning, fumigation services, maintenance of extinguisher, maintenance or green areas, among other.)
• Handle correspondence, administer tourism services fees (Law 6990), accommodation, and rental vehicles.
• Administer fixed and intangible assets of the Institution.
• Administer the vehicle fleet of the Institution.
• Establish administrative standards and policies.

This Unit is responsible for institutional planning, covering the National Planning System according to Law 5525 and the valid regulations; meaning plans, policies, programs, systems, procedures, and methods to manage the Institute, through the coordination of sectors of the National Development Plan, operations plans, risks and internal control self-evaluation coordination, administrative analysis, management evaluation, international cooperation, and special studies.

The work processes are limited to the internal tasks of the institute and the external relation in terms of international cooperation.

Objective of the Institutional Planning Unit:

Provide counseling to the Executive Presidency and technical accompaniment to the other ICT units in activities related to planning, internal control of the Institution, administrative analysis, and international cooperation, to support the accomplishment of the institutional mission, vision, and objectives, strengthening the processes for transparent management and accountability.

The work processes of the unit are:

Planning: Eight work areas and their respective procedures take place here:

• Creation of the Annual Plan of Operations (PAO) and Budget.
• Annual Plan of Operations Follow-up
• Annual Plan of Operations Modifications
• Creation of the Institutional Operational Plan (POI), Strategic Programming (PEP)
• Institutional Operational Plan Follow-Up, Results by Program.
• Programming strategic National Development Plan (PND) actions (MAPI)
• Program by sectors of the PND (MAPESI) and follow-up.
• Public Investment Projects

Administrative Analysis: Made up by two work areas:

• Administrative Analysis, Re-organizations.
• Administrative Analysis, Procedures Manuals Revision.

Internal Control: With three components:

• Internal Control Self-Evaluation.
• Technical Secretariat of the Management Team of Risk and Internal Control (EGCIR)
• Specific System of Risk Evaluations

International Cooperation with two components, and works covered by the International Cooperation Management of MIDEPLAN, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

• Cooperation that receives from other countries in matters of tourism
• Cooperation that provides to other countries in matters of tourism

Special Reports: With just one component

Creation of special reports.

Evaluation and Publication of the PAO

Other Reports