Travelers find business and leisure in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is committed to becoming the destination that most captivates executives. In more and more instances, business travelers decide to stay in the country a little longer to enjoy its sandy Atlantic and Pacific Coast beaches, marvel at its biodiversity and participate in parasailing, snorkeling, and diving activities.

Bleisure is a worldwide trend

This combination of business and leisure travel in Costa Rica is part of a global trend called “bleisure .”Bleisure proposes that once the meetings and other business activities are over, company employees can take advantage of free time and the weekend to get to know Costa Rica instead of returning immediately to their homes.

Business and leisure in Cost Rica mean that sometimes family members come along.

This trend is gaining strength and represents a market niche that Costa Rica can satisfy. This is because it has the necessary elements to do so in the metropolitan and Guanacaste areas.

Notably, in the first case, the Juan Santamaría airport and the existence of choice hotels create a rapid connection with corporate business centers and with tourist destinations such as volcanoes, parks, forests, and beaches.

Added to this is the inauguration, in recent years, of the National Congress and Convention Center. In its first year of operation, the facility’s management confirmed 63 meetings for 2021. More than 32,000 business function participants visited the country that year, generating more than $210 million in profits.

Business and leisure in Costa Rica means a trip to the beach and ecotourism

Business tourists typically have shorter stays than leisure visitors. Despite this fact, their average spending is higher. In a seven-day visit for business and leisure in Costa Rica, a traveler invests between $1,000 and $1,200. This is according to data from the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels.

Among the most popular activities are visits to the beach, ecotourism, adventure, wellness, culture, and sports, according to the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT).

“The new trend for executives is to travel for work and extend their stay to do tourism activities in Costa Rica. This represents an opportunity for this important economic sector. Business and leisure in Costa Rica take advantage of the fact that someone must come to the country for business to invite them to stay. The situation not only favors the country’s hotel establishments but all aspects of tourism as well. This is because in an extra stay, visitors frequent restaurants, rent cars, participate in tours, and get involved in a host of other leisure activities”, said Johnny Riba, president of the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels.

This organization works to promote the country as a dual-purpose destination for the corporate markets in Europe, North America, and Central and South America.

Roche employees get to know the country

For example, Roche in Costa Rica constantly receives company executives from Central America, the Caribbean, and the United States. These individuals often extend their stays to enjoy business and leisure in Costa Rica.

“In addition to attending business meetings, our employees also take advantage of one or two days to visit tourist attractions in areas close to the Greater Metropolitan Area. Furthermore, on certain occasions, our executives arrive in the company of their partners to vacation, as well as to visit a family member”, concluded Álvaro Soto, president of the Pharmaceutical Division subregion of Roche Latin America.