Costa Rican Tourism Institute and IICA will implement actions aimed at increasing the benefits of tourism activities for businesses in Costa Rica

San Jose, 20 July 2023 (IICA) - The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) established a strategic partnership with a view to increasing the contribution of both sectors to the economy, and particularly to small and medium-scale enterprises, in that Central American country.

Within the framework of the agreement, IICA will organize various events in Costa Rica that will allow for attracting more international visitors to community-based and gastronomic rural tourism activities in the country.

The agreement was signed during IICA’s Executive Committee meeting, which was held at the organization’s headquarters in San Jose, and attended by the ministers of Agriculture and other high-level authorities of at least 25 countries of the Americas.

“Tourism and agriculture have many points of convergence. The agricultural products consumed by national and international tourists while touring the country complement their experience from a gastronomic point of view. The signing of this framework agreement with IICA will sow the seeds for joint work that will bear fruit in the short and medium term. Together, we will generate training opportunities, promote gastronomy as a travel motivation and even attract international events as part of the meeting tourism segment”, stated William Rodríguez, Costa Rica’s Minister of Tourism.

“Over the past 30 years, I have witnessed the growth of tourism in Costa Rica. The institutional framework has grown stronger and the linkages between tourism and agriculture have become more evident. In an evergreen country such as this one, biodiversity plays a fundamental role and agriculture must understand that, in addition to producing, it must generate extra income based on a respect for diversity”, noted IICA Director General Manuel Otero.

Rodríguez and Otero signed the agreement on the second day of IICA’s Executive Committee meeting, during which the ministers discussed actions to strengthen agriculture in the Americas, which they consider crucial for the world’s food, nutritional and environmental security.

Under the agreement, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute will host international events of common interest at IICA’s headquarters in San Jose, which would involve visits by presidents, ministers or other authorities and official delegations from countries of the Americas.

ICT will also collaborate with IICA to develop procedures to attract international events and facilitate the presence of Costa Rica’s “Country Brand” in specific activities carried out by the hemispheric organization, in order to achieve greater visibility.

“Based on our firm conviction that agriculture must serve as an instrument for peace, we signed this agreement with ICT to achieve a concrete impact and contribute to improving the quality of life of Costa Ricans as well as international visitors who come to visit this beautiful country”, added the Director General of IICA.

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int