Agreement promotes Costa Rica wellness tourism

The Costa Rica Tourism Board has signed a four-year cooperation agreement with Association Wellness Costa Rica.

The agreement has nine objectives, including the organisation of activities that seek the national and international recognition of Costa Rica as a wellness destination, training, continuing education and professional training of the wellness tourism sector as well as offering tourist businesses the necessary marketing tools for the promotion of this segment.

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) seeks to boost wellness tourism by the promotion of a wellness culture that will allow both Costa Ricans and international tourists to recognize Costa Rica as a wellness destination that takes account of biodiversity, the country’s ample natural resources and landscapes, as well as the local water sources and cuisine, all in a sustainable environment.

The ICT has contracted the Costa Rican Institute of Technical Standards (INTECO) to develop a national regulation that establishes the service requirements that must be fulfilled by wellness spas for their accreditation. Requirements that wellness spas must fulfil for accreditation will be based on ISO 17679-2016 “Tourism and related services – wellness spa- Service requirements” and UNE 186001 “Establishment of health spas- requirements for service”.

Problems with crime, including murders of tourists, has led to a fall in the numbers of Americans going to Costa Rica. The country is heavily dependent on tourism. Nearly 3 million people visited Costa Rica in 2017 and they spent US$3.87 billion.

Visit the IMTJ Country report for an up to date analysis of the medical tourism sector in Costa Rica.