At WTM Virtual, the Costa Rica Tourism Board reiterated its commitment towards sustainable tourism and travel agents, through a number of initiatives.
The Costa Rica Tourism Board launches the ?Pura Vida Pledge? ? its key 2021 focus:
The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) has launched the ?Pura Vida Pledge? during WTM Virtual 2020, educating visitors on the real meaning of responsible tourism and the actions, they, as travellers to the destination, can do to make a difference in the post Covid-19 world. ?Pura vida? itself is a mantra for ?ticos? (Costa Ricans), meaning ?pure life? or, even more so, ?full of life?, symbolising the positive energy to be experienced and found there. Costa Rica?s commitment to the environment is a way of life. For this reason, the country is encouraging visitors to take one of five actions to ensure their 2021 holiday is as responsible as possible: Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST); carbon offsetting; volunteering; respecting the environment; and, quality assurance. www.puravidapledge.co.uk
Costa Rica partners with the National Forestry Financing Fund to fight against carbon footprints:
With already 29% of the country?s energy sources being renewable, Costa Rica has set out to lay the foundations of the new Costa Rican economy of the 21st century by creating a positive, innovative and inspiring vision of the future. The Costa Rica Tourism Board has partnered with the National Forestry Financing Fund (Fonafifo) to fight against carbon footprints. Travellers can log into an online tool to easily calculate the carbon emissions of their flight and then make a payment that Fonafifo will invest in different environmental projects throughout the country. www.fonafifo.go.cr/en/calculadora/
Support for the UK travel trade:
During lockdown, the tourism board's priority has been to support travel agents throughout this difficult time. The focus has been preparing the trade for when customer confidence returns to the market. A key measure in this goal has been training travel agents on how best to sell Costa Rica post-lockdown, via:
- Masterclasses, some featuring Costa Rican partners
- One-to-one virtual training classes
- Pura Vida Univerity (www.puravidauniversity.co.uk), Costa Rica's online training site, which has been constantly updated throughout the year with the latest content and tools - such as new sustainable itineraries, and volunteering programmes for clients. A total of 2,012 agents have been trained this year at the Pura Vida University (up from 508 agents in 2019)
- Monthly online newsletters dedicated to travel agents
