Costa Rica, a country that holds about 4.5% of the planet’s biodiversity, and seeks to make its natural landscapes serve as a formula to reduce the labor stress of its tourists and thus become a destination for wellness tourism.
Meditation, yoga, massage, hot water treatments, organic products and outdoor sports, among many others, are some of the activities that tourists can find in this Central American country, which seeks every time More diversify their offer.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), work stress is considered as a global epidemic and one of the chronic diseases with the greatest cost of medical care, which is why Costa Rica seeks to differentiate itself as a wellness destination.
With its “Pura Vida Wellness” campaign, the Central American country will soon launch a strategy to meet the needs of a more demanding tourist with a wide range of activities throughout the country. And according to the Costa Rican Tourism Minister, Mauricio Ventura, the initiative aims to take advantage of the available tourist and environmental resources, the potential of the destination and its positioning around the sustainability, the quality of the offer and the professionalism of the sector.
“Costa Rica has been recognized internationally as a wellness destination, but it has been informal, there are some projects, but not something structured as a country. This is to tell the world that Costa Rica initiates a process of preparation of a national plan for Positioning itself in the world as a wellness destination that aims to involve more actors, “said Ventura.
In addition, he emphasized that it is not a question of driving adventure lovers who rappel, canopy, rafting or snorkeling, but rather take advantage of the positioning to build on this a “differentiated product with tico seal”.
“Costa Rica has everything, hot springs, mud baths, forests, spa services, organic agriculture, but you need to take advantage of what you have and work to take root in that culture of well-being, that’s why we need to strengthen the sector and train the Entrepreneurs, “said Laura Barrantes, president of the Costa Rican Wellness Tourism Association.
Welfare tourism seeks to boost local economies
Mellissa Tencio, head of ICT Welfare Tourism, explained that the Pura Vida Wellness strategy seeks to become a business opportunity for the tourism industry and a catalyst for the economic and social growth of communities.
“The Pura Vida Wellness Wellness Tourism Country Strategy goes beyond strengthening and promoting activities and techniques in established places. We want to contribute to the development of areas with the potential to grow in wellness tourism, to provide tools for the training and training of professionals in the sector to meet the demands of the market, “said Tencio.
Similarly, the strategy of wellness tourism is aligned with the new tourist identity, Costa Rica: My Choice, Naturally, in order to position the country as a destination generating authentic travel experiences, which improves our quality of life and Who visit us.