Costa Rica wants to improve tourism by adding eco-friendly elements. The new strategy to attract visitors is called Wellness Pura Vida. Wellness tourism promotes the use of tourism services such as outdoor activities, local gastronomy, and spa service performed by professionals specialized in new relaxation techniques.
The institution reported that this strategy is in line with the new tourism identity “Costa Rica: My Choice, naturally”, whose objective is to establish the country as a destination for unique traveling experiences.
Wellness tourism generated $563.000 million by the end of 2016 worldwide, since it is calculated that this type of tourism produces over 130% more profits than the average one; according to the Global Wellness Tourism Economy.
Mauricio Ventura, minister of tourism explained that this new product is part of the strategy to diversify and consolidate tourism, through the incorporation of wellness and ecological practices, which increased at a rate of 10.6% from 2013 to 2015 in the country.
The Costa Rica Tourism Board is seeking to position the country as an alternative for those who are looking for something different. Wellness tourism helps people who live in constant work-related stress, considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
Melissa Tencio, one of the members of the Costa Rica Tourism Board explained that this strategy opens doors to other business opportunities for the tourism industry and it’s a booster for the local economy.
“The strategy goes beyond the improvement and promotion of outdoor activities. We also want to benefit a lot of communities through the development of this industry. Likewise, we are planning to provide professionals with training courses, so that we can be equal to the demands of the market” – Melissa Tencio says.
Alejandro Castro, the Marketing manager of the Costa Rica Tourism Board, added that this industry represents an opportunity for Costa Rica’s tourism to grow but it’s also a challenge because they will have to deal with international standards and competition.