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Costa Rica seeks to win over the South American tourism market at the WTM Latin America fair

 

 

  • ICT and tourism companies from the country’s private sector will participate in the WTM Latin America fair on April 2-4 in São Paulo, Brazil.
  • In 2018, over 190,000 international arrivals were recorded from South America.

Beginning on Tuesday, Costa Rica has been showing the most outstanding aspects of its tourism offer at the WTM Latin America international fair, which is considered to be one of the most important negotiation spaces on the continent because of its strategic impact and consistent participation by wholesalers.

The trade fair began on April 2 in São Paulo, Brazil and will go until Thursday, April 4. The Costa Rican delegation includes tourism companies, accommodation providers and tour operators. They are taking the lead in showing prospective buyers the different alternatives they offer for visitors interested in activities that range from adventure to wellness—through the “Wellness Pura Vida” focal area—to sun, beaches, surfing, rural tourism and nature tours, among other experiences.

The stand is decorated with natural plants, wide-format images and colorful references to the traditional Sarchí oxcarts, as well as elements that represent all of the country’s regions. It shows a slice of the essence of Costa Rica over 60 square meters, a space completely reserved for face-to-face negotiations.

According to organizers, the 2018 event saw 11,963 visitors—all of whom were tourism-sector professionals—with about 12,000 meetings that led to negotiations with a resulting US$7 million in travel to participating destinations. WTM Latin America is organized using a system of high-precision online appointments under a Business-to-Business (B2B) model.

Ireth Rodríguez, Promotions Director at the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) explained that while the trade fair does recieve a large number of Brazilian purchasers, it is also well attended by wholesalers from across Latin America, which allows appointments to be made with professionals from other South American markets of interest, including Argentina, Chile and Peru.

South America interested in the Pura Vida experience

“WTM Latin America is one of the main events directed to the Brazilian marketing channel and constitutes one of the main promotional actions in this enormous country. Moreover, São Paulo is one of the main cities in Latin America, with a population of over 21 million people, and is home to one of the hubs of the LATAM airline, which means that it has a major potential for Costa Rica”, elaborated Rodríguez.

According to ICT data, 190,413 visitors entered Costa Rica from South America, of whom over 22,329 were Brazilian.

The most recent study of the Brazilian market, in 2019, showed that 40% travel with their partner, 21% on their own and 19% with their families. The average length of stays is estimated at 14 nights, with an average spend of $125 per day. Among the many activities they participate in during their visit, sun and beach activities stand out (84%) along with enjoying the local cuisine (60%), as well as spending time observing flora and fauna (44%), visiting volcanoes (51%), and many more.

WTM Latin America is organized by Reed Exhibitions, a company with ample experience which is responsible for the organization of WTM London, in which Costa Rica will be participating in November.

The country’s participation in this trade fair marks a progression in the ICT’s trade fair program, in which it seeks to attend at least 20 of the most prominent international tourism and travel trade fairs for professionals and the general public, along with other fairs specialized in birdwatching, meeting tourism, attracting cruise ships and other niches. This program will strengthen the positioning and promotion of Costa Rica in its main tourist-sending markets of South America, Europe and North America.