If a national or international tourist, as well as a tourism entrepreneur, is far from San José and needs a service or help from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), they no longer have to come to the capital to the headquarters in La Uruca. For your ease, attention and support, you now have the support of the work teams of six regional offices of the institution, now called “Regional Support Centers for Tourists and Entrepreneurs.”
These centers are located in Liberia, Ciudad Quesada, Río Claro, Quepos, Puntarenas, Limón Centro and precisely, the decision of their physical locations obeys criteria of proximity to the largest centers of tourist development, or failing that, to an area of greater ease for administrative procedures, thus meeting the needs of the Planning Units or Tourist Regions.
Although they began operating in 2009, now, in celebration of their 15th anniversary, they were renovated, transforming from offices to service centers with a broader spectrum of services, this with the aim of providing expeditious advice and each time with services more agile ICT facilities outside the Greater Metropolitan Area.
“For some years now, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute chose to bring ICT services to all parts of the country. This had a clear strategy at that time, now it has been expanded. Today we have six service centers throughout the country that are the instrument that tourism entrepreneurs and tourists can use to facilitate their processes and so that they do not come to San José because they can do them online or at the ICT facilities in those places,” indicated the Minister of Tourism, William Rodríguez.
The leader also called on local and international businessmen and tourists to use these centers to facilitate the work needed by micro, small and large businessmen; but, above all, to bring ICT services closer to local populations.
“These regional centers of the ICT were born precisely so that the tourism entrepreneur in the regions could be closer to the institution. It is a project that aims to bring the institution closer to the procedures that tourists or members of the tourism sector can carry out at the institution without having to come to San José. This has made it easier to bring institutional programs to the different regions and thus serve the programs not only for the businessman but also for other state institutions or local governments,” said Jorge Retana, head of the Regional Support Centers for Tourists and Businesspeople of the ICT.
According to Retana, in the future, the challenge is to carry out the procedures with the appropriate technology to carry them out. It is a closer approach to the tourism sector, but it is also an additional support, this would allow us a greater or closer presence to the businessman when advising him with the procedures. The opportunity for growth is not in the number of offices or centers, but in providing greater services to the sector and the tourists who visit us.
ICT expands its coverage throughout the country
From the different areas of the country, within the institution, the officials who work in these centers are in charge of developing actions for the execution of institutional programs, such as the Tourism Quality Certification known as the Tourism Declaration, also for the Certificate for Tourism Sustainability, as well as the different Tourism Sustainability programs. Additionally, they provide advice and talks to entrepreneurs as a guide so they can obtain these certificates.
They are also in charge of the execution of the Ecological Blue Flag Program, Beaches modality, the inspection work of the Maritime Terrestrial Zone and they collaborate with the ICT Marketing department on national or international press tours. Likewise, they carry out work for the licensing of the Country Brand.
At an external level, they represent the institution in different forums and commissions, before government institutions, municipalities and chambers or regional tourism associations. They constitute a single window for receiving institutional procedures. They participate in emergency response and collaborate in their management processes with Local Emergency Committees. Finally, they provide assistance and advice to tourists, especially those who arrive at national ports by sea (cruise ships) and through the Daniel Oduber international airport.
Current location and contact of the ICT Regional Offices
Puntarenas, Monteverde and Gulf Islands.Location: Plaza del Pacífico in Puntarenas. Jurisdiction: the Islands of the Gulf of Nicoya, the Nicoya Peninsula, Monteverde and the cantons of Monte de Oro and Esparza, as well as surrounding cantons. Telephone: 2661-0337. Email: [email protected]
Guanacaste: Former Governorate of Liberia. Jurisdiction: the entire province of Guanacaste. Telephone: 2666-2976 Email: [email protected]
Northern Plains: Ciudad Quesada. Jurisdiction: La Fortuna de San Carlos and the canton of Sarapiquí; also the entire northern area of the country, as well as some peripheral cantons such as Río Cuarto, San Ramón, Grecia, Zarcero, among others. Telephone: 2461-9102 Email: [email protected]
Caribbean: Plaza La Capitanía, Limón. Jurisdiction: the entire province of Limón. Telephone: 2758-0983. Email: [email protected]
Middle Pacific: Located in Quepos. Jurisdiction: Garabito, Parrita, Quepos and the areas surrounding Dominical. Telephone: 2777-4221. Email: [email protected]
South Pacific: located in Río Claro, on Route 2. Canton of Golfito. Jurisdiction: Osa, Golfito, Pérez Zeledón, Corredores, Coto Brus, Buenos Aires and Puerto Jiménez. Telephone: 2789-7739. Email: [email protected]
