Costa Rica’s annual travel trade show opens

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Yesterday marked the opening of Costa Rica’s annual travel trade show, Expotur (May 9 -11).

Normally I would attend this show where, as I explain in my blog post of last week—“Costa Rica profiled in new TV travel show”—I get to meet all the tour operators, hoteliers, car rental representatives, and other travel industry personnel… and where I catch up with long-time friends in the industry.

In fact, I attended my first Expotur in 1990, when the event was in its sixth year.

However, prior travel commitments preclude being able to attend, as I’m currently leading multiple trips to Cuba for National Geographic Expeditions.

(By coincidence, Cuba’s own travel trade show—Fitcuba 2012—is being hosted at Cayo Santa María during the same dates and, alas, I can’t attend that one either.)

Per tradition, Expotur, which is organized by the Association of Costa Rican Tourism Professionals (ACOPROT), is being hosted at the Ramada Plaza Herradura, at Barrael de Heredia, near San Antonio de Belén, on the outskirts of San José.

About 300 tourism company representatives from throughout Costa Rica and Latin America will be exhibiting their wares to more than 200 North American and other international tour operators, travel agents and other industry professionals.

This year’s theme will promote and showcase the country’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions sector.

That seems logical, as Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla recently announced plans to build a 6,000-square-meter (19,600 square feet) National Conventions Center, with plans to open by the close of 2013. The center, to be built opposite the Ramada at Barrael de Heredia, will be three times the size of the Ramada’s convention facilities and will feature an exhibition hall and nine meeting rooms.

Expotur is not open to the public.

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Disclosure: I occasionally accept free or discounted travel when it coincides with my editorial goals. However, my opinion is never for sale. The opinions you see in Cuba & Costa Rica Journal are my unbiased reflection of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Copyright © Christopher P. Baker