Costa Rica, the Preferrred Nation for Wellness Tourism.

tourism is one of the most important economic activities in Costa Rica, a country that took in nearly three million people each year before the pandemic. COVID-19 has slowed the economy, a circumstance for which various alternatives are being sought reactivate the stream of visitors arriving in the area.

Laura Barrantes Requeno, President of the Costa Rican Association for Wellness Tourism, explains the main benefits of wellness tourism, a strategy that could position the region as an ecological and diverse nation.

TIP: Receive Update on soon Costa Rican Retreats & Events by subscribe to our newsletter. Do not miss on What’s happening around you! Click here.

What potential does Costa Rica have in wellness tourism?

The development of the wellness segment in Costa Rica is experiencing significant growth at the national level, which is reflected in the increase in the range of services and products in this regard. Entrepreneur are committed to improving this offering, but there are many more growth opportunities, which is why it is so important to continue to professionally nurture this growth.

What are the major wellness tourism options in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica has not only been considered the number 1 destination in ecotourism in recent years, has more than 50% of its territory under some category of forest cover, has been part of the Happy Index Planet for several years and has a high infrastructure and tourist services Quality. All of this enables you to present yourself to the world as a wellness destination in nature.

In addition, its geographic location in the tropics with access to two oceans is a lush nature that enables activities such as forest therapy, yoga, and outdoor meditation to consume natural products. Another benefit is that the country has a small area of ​​land that allows the visitor to move around many areas in a single trip.

The alliances between other organizations like the National Chamber of Tourism as the leading organization in the sector, the National Chamber for Ecotourism, Arenal Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, were strategic partners and key elements of a country strategy.

A very important opportunity that Costa Rica has used and used to position itself internationally is to participate in Global Wellness Day, as a movement to which 170 countries belong. Costa Rica has been a member of this movement since 2015 and many actions are being carried out to promote a healthy lifestyle, one of the main needs this year 2021. This opportunity is to present itself to the world as a cheap travel destination for improving physical and mental health, that reconnects with nature in a safe environment.

How does Costa Rica need to improve to attract more spa tourists?

There is a public-private alliance between the Costa Rican Institute for Tourism and the Costa Rican Association for Wellness Tourism, which has made it possible to jointly carry out many activities, such as raising awareness of the corporate sector, training courses and joint advertising campaigns, which demonstrates the important quality of the country. But there are also other private alliances that have also jointly supported this development in order to further develop training and update rooms.

These are actions that need to be sustained over time. Not only does this encourage growth opportunities, but it also encourages the creation of new businesses that offer more wellness products and services in a professional manner. The tourism association must be better organized in order to achieve a greater reach through a greater positive effect through a larger professional offer.

What are the most important innovations in wellness tourism?

Tourist chains are one of the best strategies an industry can develop as it enables them to offer a wider and better range of services. Because wellness tourism is such a dynamic segment, activities can permeate other sectors that are not directly touristy, which means that the economic benefits are greater.

It helps to create awareness for the local and national population and to motivate them to adopt better habits that enable them to improve their health and thus a better quality of life in contact with nature.

Costa Rica has two important distinguishing features worldwide. One is the great variety of activities that can be done in nature, especially forest therapy and the other is that we are one of the 5 Blue Zones in the world and Costa Rica is the largest with very long-lived people (more than 90 years) good health due to their lifestyle.

What are the characteristics of wellness tourism in Costa Rica?

People want to improve their health or maintain their healthy lifestyle while traveling. For this reason, wellness trips mainly focus on activities that improve people’s health through tourism services.

Diversity enriches the offer, from outdoor activities to improve physical and mental health, such as forest therapy, meditation, water therapy and activities to improve breathing, hydrotherapy. Even overnight accommodations that are adapted to the night’s rest in surroundings in the midst of nature, high-quality catering options, but consciously designed according to dietary recommendations.

Specialized travel agencies that promote the integration of the dimensions of wellbeing. And recently the inclusion of car rental companies offering services in their units such as music selections for relaxation, flavors tailored to travelers’ interests, environmental commitments to minimize carbon footprint.

The premise for Costa Rica is that these services are provided in harmony with nature. Therefore, the country strategy consists in ensuring that all parties involved work in an organized and professional manner in order to create more products and services with this focus and to promote them nationally and internationally.

Also, take advantage of initiatives like Global Wellness Day to give it a greater international presence and show the world what Costa Rica has to offer. The Global Wellness Day is a non-profit movement that promotes wellness in all areas. And it is celebrated on the second Saturday in June.

LIKE THIS ARTICLE? Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll send you updates on our latest Content as soon as it becomes available. Click here.