Tourism SMEs located in cantons outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) have the opportunity to participate in the “Smart Biotourism: Innovating in the value chain” program, promoted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through non-reimbursable technical cooperation.
This program offers a ten-week mentorship for ten tourism SMEs, covering key concepts and practical skills in smart biotourism. Topics include sustainability, use of information and communication technologies (ICT) applied to tourism, innovation management and prototyping, with the aim of enhancing value creation and differentiation in the market.
Transforming SMEs in the tourism sector
The initiative seeks to transform SMEs in the tourism sector towards sustainable and innovative business models, integrating smart biotourism practices that improve their competitiveness, contribute to environmental conservation and promote the well-being of local communities.
Orlando Vega Quesada, Vice Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of the MICITT, indicated that this program seeks to enhance the capabilities of companies outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) in aspects such as sustainability and innovation, key areas for competitiveness. global. “Through this initiative, tourism SMEs will receive mentoring with a focus on bioeconomy, technology applied to tourism and innovation management, strengthening their ability to create value and differentiate themselves in the market,” he noted.
The leader highlighted that the program is aligned with the National Bioeconomy Strategy, emphasizing that “the tourism sector is one of the fundamental pillars of our economy, and its sustainable development is decisive for the well-being of our local communities and the conservation of our environment.” natural”.
Added value
For his part, Francisco Javier Urra, IDB representative in Costa Rica, indicated that “the added value of this program lies in the fact that it not only focuses on developing innovation capabilities and skills in the participants, but also identifies a series of opportunities. for project scalability. This includes seeking additional financing, expanding the market and replicating solutions in other areas of the business.”
Interested companies and ventures have time to apply and the start date of the program is September 2. They can register through the form generated for this purpose. The MICITT will select the beneficiary tourism SMEs based on criteria such as commitment to sustainability, innovation potential, scalability and experience. The program has no cost for beneficiaries.
