Travel agents & airlines inspired by Costa Rica travel

In these digital times, with the internet flooded with travel websites, it's easy to think that no one needs travel agents anymore. But in fact, travel specialists have become more important than ever for people who want personalized service and luxurious touches on their trips.

The continued popularity of travel agents was evidenced by the big attendance at Educational Travel Agents Seminars held recently in three major cities in California by members of the Pro Image Costa Rica Group. Hundreds of travel specialists in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego attended the seminars, held from July 21 to 24, 2015, to learn how to sell Costa Rica vacations and travel to Costa Rica.

“We had very high quality agencies and tourism companies attending, who were seriously interested in business in Costa Rica. We are very pleased with the results,” commented Daniel Chavarria, president of the Pro Image Costa Rica Group. “California is a market that has a lot of interest for Costa Rica. We are really content that so many people came, even more than planned.”



The Pro Image Costa Rica Group is an alliance of tourism companies that promote tourism in Costa Rica as an attractive destination internationally. With the support of the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), since 1997, the Pro Image Costa Rica Group has strengthened Costa Rica’s image in traditional markets such as the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain, and is opening new tourism markets in South America, Europe and Asia.

More than 300 travel agents in all three California cities eagerly learned how to sell Costa Rica travel, attending events of dinners, cocktail receptions, trade shows and sales meetings. The three high-profile travel events were supported by leading travel wholesalers to Costa Rica, including Pleasant Holidays, Festival Tours, Passport Costa Rica and Apple Vacations, and representatives from United Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines and Alaska Airlines – all solid partners with regular flights to Costa Rica from the U.S.

Costa Rican tourism companies made valuable contacts eager to do business in groups, weddings, health tourism, honeymoons, fishing and incentive travel, Chavarria noted. Future Educational Travel Agents Seminars will be held from Sept. 22 to 25, 2015 in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore in the USA, and later this year in South America and Mexico.

Article by Shannon Farley

What you need to know about visiting Costa Rica in rainy season

Costa Rica welcomes rainy season (also called the “green season”) like a parched traveler reaching an oasis after a long, dry desert-crossing. Dry season dust is gone and Costa Rica’s landscape springs back to life with lush green vegetation, carpets of blooming flowers, and new animal life.

Costa Rica in general has two major seasons – “summer,” or the dry season from December to April, and rainy season from May to November. Mornings during rainy season are almost always sunny, with showers in the afternoons or evenings, which thankfully cool the temperature. And there may be many days when it does not rain at all. The exception is that the Costa Rica Caribbean Coast is rainy most of the year and has its Caribbean Summer from about mid-September to mid-November – when the rest of the country is soaked.

Those “in the know” about traveling to Costa Rica know that rainy season means good deals, lower rates in hotels, and fewer crowds. Besides, if you are going to visit a rainforest or a cloud forest, you should expect rain and clouds some of the time!

12 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT VISITING COSTA RICA IN RAINY SEASON:

• Rainy season paints the landscape lush, verdant and colorful – a real jungle!

• Mornings are almost always hot and sunny. Rain usually falls for a few hours in the afternoon or at night.

• Rain helps bring the temperature down.

• Sea turtles come to nest on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts during this period, making it “turtle season”.

• Discover the two-week “mini-summer” that happens in July.

• Rain fills the rivers making it the best time for whitewater rafting.

• Remember to carry an umbrella when you go out for the day or in the afternoon. Invest in one of those huge golf umbrellas while you are here; you will understand why.

• Plan your day to do all activities – tours, sightseeing, errands, shopping – in the morning and leave the afternoon for indoor pastimes like museum visits, visiting with friends, reading, emails, naps, etc.

• You may not want to get up early on your vacation, but think again. You want to do all tours in the morning during rainy season, when it is dry and sunny and pleasant. The earlier in the morning, the cooler the temperature and the more wildlife you see. Hiking or ziplining through a rainforest in a torrential downpour is definitely a memorable experience, but is not very comfortable.

• Be sure to rent a 4x4 vehicle in rainy season, when unpaved roads turn to muddy bogs.

• Skip off to the Caribbean Coast in October for Costa Rica Caribbean Summer.

• You can find better values in rainy season on vacation packages, hotels, tours and transport.

See why rainy season is a great time to travel to Costa Rica on vacation. Design your Costa Rica holiday with Horizontes Nature Tours. The travel agency in Costa Rica has 31 years of experience creating Costa Rica nature holidays, Costa Rica family trips and Costa Rica beach vacations.

Article by Shannon Farley

Costa Rica’s biggest travel trade fair Expotur 2015 opens in May

For tourism companies interested in Latin America’s hottest destination, the Costa Rica travel trade-mart – Expotur 2015 – is an opportunity to build business relationships with Costa Rica’s hotels, tour companies and travel agencies.

Costa Rica’s biggest tourism fair will be held May 7 to 10, 2015 at the Wyndham Herradura Hotel in San José, the capital city of Costa Rica.

“Expotur is the main showcase of the Costa Rica tourist industry to the world,” said Daniel Chavarria, board member of Pro-Imagen and Futuropa that market Costa Rica globally. “Costa Rica is an important travel destination. For instance, more than 45% of international destination weddings coming to Central America come to Costa Rica.”

For 10 years in a row Costa Rica has been the hottest destination in Latin America, according to Travel Weekly, and the Central American country was once again named the Happiest Country in the World this year. More than 2.5 million tourists traveled to Costa Rica in 2014, as reported by the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT).
For Horizontes Nature Tours in Costa Rica, Expotur has been a tradition for more than three decades. The Costa Rica travel agency got its start the same year as Expotur – 31 years ago; and over the years, both have grown with Costa Rica’s tourism demand.

“We consider that Expotur has great potential, and it gives us opportunities to create new business and maintain our presence,” commented Adolfo Vargas, e-commerce manager for Horizontes Nature Tours. “We also take advantage of the fair to find new products in hotels and tours in Costa Rica.
” Representatives of 393 tourism companies, so far, from 29 countries will attend the trade fair portion of the event on May 7 and 8, according to the ICT. On May 9 and 10, the tourism fair will be open to the public. Costa Rican hotels, tour companies and travel agencies will display their products and services hoping to attract local tourists with special prices and packages. ICT officials said this year there will be particular emphasis placed on cultural and rural tourism.

Being Costa Rica travel experts for 31 years, Horizontes is a leading travel agency in Costa Rica. Eco-tourism is at the heart of the company’s foundation, and they are certified in Sustainable Tourism. For travel plans to Costa Rica, contact Horizontes Nature Tours.

Article by Shannon Farley