ACOPROT

POST CIRCUITS SOUTH NICOYA PENINSULA
3 DAYS  – 2 NIGHTS.
PRE & POST CIRCUITS  

4 DAYS - 3 NIGHTS

PRE & POST CIRCUITS

FRIDAY, MAY 30TH

Departure to Grecia by the scenic old road.Visitation of the historical Metal Church , the only one in Costa Rica built with 100% steel.Arrival to Sarchi: the cradle of crafts in Costa Rica .

Free time for enjoy its marvelous souvenirs stores and admire the artisans painting the typical oxcarts by hand.Departure to Bosque de Paz.

Upon arrival, nature walk with a naturalist tour guide to admire its rich flora and fauna.Lunch at Bosque de Paz restaurant.

Second  guided nature walk around the botanical garden.

Departure to La Quinta de Sarapiqui. Hotel Check In and free time to enjoy the hotel facilities.Dinner at La Quinta.

SAT, MAY 31ST

Departure to Rio Danta Restaurant and breakfast.

Transfer to Tortuguero by bus and boat. Guided tour by a naturalist tour guide along the canals and rivers of this amazing ecosystem. Arrival to Mawamba Lodge, check in and lunch.

In the afternoon: Free time to enjoy the lodge facilities and admire the rich biodiversity of the area.Dinner.

SUN, JUN 1ST

Breakfast and transfer to Pachira Lodge. Check in.Tour to Tortuguero Hill. A lovely nature walk with a naturalist tour guide.Lunch at Pachira Lodge.Site Inspection, visiting the different hotels of the area and main

attractions such as the Green Turtle Project and  the town.

MON, JUN 2nd

Transfer to San Jose.Arrival to San Jose .

Dear Friends The fact that you are reading this is a tribute to your belief in Costa Rica as a tourism destination and EXPOTUR as a means to negotiate packages for that destination.

Since last we met, the world has experienced tremendous change threatening  the sustainability of the Travel Industry as a whole. Barely 26 months ago, the future health of  tourism was impacted by a bleak panorama for world economics. Less than 20 months ago the world was shocked and enraged by the tragic events of  September 11th, 2001 . 

Today we meet in the aftermath of a War that spread doubt as to the future world order and we stand at the brink of what might become an epidemic forcing changes in our lifestyles and evidently our travel habits.

Whatever your position as to these past and ongoing events, the reality is that much water has passed under the bridge of our Human Adventure. The turbulence of these 'white waters' has also proven the bridge to be stronger than imagined. The ties that bind the foundations of the span from north to south and east to west,  also bind us in our journey towards the future.

It is inevitable that we and our clients are unsure as to what the future may hold in store for us and our Industry. That uncertainty may fuel short term fears but as we plan towards the future, we must keep in mind that above all other endeavors, the travel industry goes beyond the mere aspects of geography and logistics.

Tourism since its inception has always been a Globalized industry, reducing the application of what has been called a 'newfangled' and often misunderstood term into a mere characteristic of our business. However, every once in a while, we may lose sight of the importance of the travel industry and the role each of us play.

Our industry deals with dreams and hopes and while these may change as we mature amid turbulent times, what has been called a vulnerability of our industry is rather one of its greatest strengths - we must always dream and hope.

In the greater sense, we are not only Wholesalers, Hoteliers, Tour Operators, Airline executives etc...but rather we are mediums for peace.

For it is in the fulfillment and sharing of  our hopes and dreams that we build an ever brighter and peaceful future. Shared understanding leads us to both respect of our commonalities and bask in the glow of our differences.

During these next few days, we meet in a quasi summit in which, negotiations will be held to develop new, diverse and improved travel products. Let us also get to know one another better so that in the sharing of our time together we strengthen the bridges of understanding!

Have a great EXPOTUR

Regards,
Manuel Carranza
President
ACOPROT / EXPOTUR

Created in 1985, EXPOTUR was devised as a catalyst to strengthen and diversity the System of Distribution of the travel services of Costa Rica and Central America . As a result, over the past nineteen years, a large number of international Wholesalers have attended EXPOTUR, to negotiate rates and packages this Region.

The above demonstrates the success of EXPOTUR to meet the goals we set upon the inauguration of the first edition of the event. Each year the average Latin American sales of participating “Buyer” Wholesalers is in excess of US $9,000,000.00 and each year we compete with many other destinations for a share of that market.

While technology may impact the way we do business, it cannot substitute the trust with which a client deposits in wholesalers and their service providers, his or her expectations for a fulfilling and memorable vacation. The System of Distribution and the Wholesalers that form it are the cornerstone of a destination! We salute all EXPOTUR participants and wish them a pleasant stay and successful event.

PRE CIRCUIT
GUANACASTE - NICARAGUA
4 DAYS  – 3 NIGHTS.

SAT, MAY 24TH

Departure  to Jaco, Quepos & Manuel Antonio.Site inspection at Jaco Beach .

Lunch at Rain Maker project and TRADE SHOW with representation of Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio and Dominical.Transfer and Check In at host Hotels in Quepos & Manuel Antonio.Special dinner and Show hosted by Manuel Antonio Group.. 

SUN, MAY 25ST

Optional tours sponsored by local companies. Hotel Check Out and transfer to Dominical, Palmar Sierpe and Osa.Special activity upon arrival to Dominical sponsored by local companies.Check In at Villa Gaia Hotel

MON, MAY 26TH

Transfer to Sierpe by bus. Embarkation and boat transfer to Drake’s Bay.

Check In at Marenco Lodge and free time to enjoy the special activities sponsored by local tour.

TUES, MAY 27TH

Transfer to Drake’s Airport. Domestic flight to San Jose by Nature Air.Arrival to San Jose and Transfer to the Hotels.

Saturday May 24th

Land Transfer from San Jose to Guanacaste via Interamerican Highway North  .  Arrival and Check in at Allegro Papagayo Resort. Lunch at Allegro Papagayo . Transfer to Tamarindo Beach for Trade Show and dinner at Cala Luna Hotel. Overnight at Allegro Papagayo.

Sunday May 25th

Breakfast at Allegro Papagayo, checkout and transfer to Nicaragua via   Interamerican Highway  and Peñas Blancas.  At the border, you will be met by representatives of Nicaragua for sightseeing en route to La Mar Hotel for Lunch. Canopy Tour at Mombacho Volcano, dinner and overnight in Granada .

Monday May 26th

Breakfast at Alhambra Hotel, tour of the city of Granada and Island tour. Lunch and visit to Masaya Volcano National Park .  Transfer to and overnight at Barcelo Montelimar & Casino.

Tuesday May 27th

Breakfast at Barcelo Montelimar and Casino, checkout and transfer to San José , Costa Rica for arrival in San José by  3:00 pm .

Four distinct volcanic mountain ranges split the country down the middle from the Nicaraguan border to Panama . Each range, of differing heights and ages, lead to diverse climate zones within and around them.

The Cordillera de Talamanca , the country´s oldest and southernmost range, includes Mt. Chirripó , Costa Rica 's highest mountain at 3.820 meters above sea level (12.533 feet). The Central Volcanic Range features the Turrialba, Irazú, Barva and Poás volcanoes. In the northwest is the Tilarán Range , with an altitude that reaches 1.700 metres (5.500 ft) at the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

Farther to the northwest is the Guanacaste  Mountain Range, near the Nicaraguan border, this range includes five active volcanoes; among them are the Arenal volcano, a popular tourism attraction;  Rincon de la Vieja and Miravalles, the latter site to a  geothermal energy plant.

As a great treasure, Costa Rica has one of the richest ecosystems in the planet, with as much as 5% of the biodiversity of the world. According to recent studies Costa Rica has 205 species of mammals, 849 species of birds, 218 species of reptiles and 130 fresh water species, without counting the more than 9000 species of vascular plants discovered to this date.

These species are distributed amongst the different ecosystems of this country which range through Caribbean Tropical Rain Forests in the central and southern highlands to colorful and dry tropical forests in the north and pacific.

PROFILE OF THE DESTINATION

Costa Rica is divided into seven “provinces”, all but one (Guanacaste, whose capital is Liberia ) have a capital city of the same name. Four of the capital cities are located in the Meseta Central, (central plateau) that is home to most of the country’s 3.5 million inhabitants. Five of  the provinces spread out from this meseta like spokes on a wheel. The provinces are:

San José : features a culturally rich and diverse national capital

Heredia: Due north of San José , up to the Nicaraguan border.

Alajuela: west of Heredia, to the Nicaraguan border, features Volcan Poás National Park

Guanacaste: the northwest part of the country. One of the most diverse regions of the country, and the world, with cloud forests, active volcanoes, national parks and long coastlines with a myriad of diverse beaches.

Limon: The Caribbean coast of the country. Features banana plantations, several biological reserves and national parks and a largely Jamaican- rooted bilingual population.

Cartago: Northeast of San José . Home of many of the volcanoes that enrich the soil of the meseta.

The Caribbean coast is smooth, with sandy beaches and small tides. Just over 200 km in length, its lowlands are characterized by swamps and mangroves. There is an interacoastal waterway, with rivers flowing through much of the eastern and northeastern parts of the country and its forests.

The west coast with just over 1000 km (600 mi) in length and its lowlands are very different. Much of the coast itself is rugged and rocky, and spotted with gulfs and peninsulas. The tides vary greatly, and there are numerous islands offshore. Some of its northern lowlands are tropical dry forests, which receive almost no rain for several months of the year.

The west coast is also the home of most of Costa Rica ’s more popular resorts and beaches, from the posh resort areas of Guanacaste in the north to the pristine Playa Manuel Antonio to the south.

Two of its peninsulas are particulary important; the Nicoya , separated from the mainland by a gulf of the same name, and the Osa, separated by the Golfo Dulce. The Nicoya Península is hilly, dry and dusty from December to April, and hosts some of the country’s better beach resorts, as well as much of its cattle farming. The Osa is the location of the Corcovado National Park , one of Costa Rica ’s most important protected rainforests.

The country´s forests sometimes seem like the biological equivalent of a cathedral; those giant tropical trees have the appearance of columns, and the canopy they support holds a collection of epyphitic vegetation, more complex than the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Mother Nature seems to work overtime in the tropics, and the consequent diversity of forests has been classified by biologists into a dozen different zones.

NATURE

Costa Rica mountains just over 25% of its territory in protected areas between Private Reserves and public National Parks, Wildlife Refuges and Forests Reserves that cover more than 1.1 million hectares (2.7 million acres).

Natural History is usually defined as the study of nature and it habitats including their ecology, distribution, classification and behavior. This type of information is important for a variety of reasons: Animal researchers need to know about natural history as backdrop for the information on species they study; wildlife managers and conservationists need natural history information upon which to base their decisions about managing animal populations.

By most criteria, Costa Rica has a good environmental record.Trough the establishment of a number of conservation policies, the creation and maintenece of a ecotourism promotion, the country is doing much to preserve its environmental heritage. Costa Rica has a long history of interest in Biodiversity Conservation and protected lands preserve  healthy variety of ecosystems in diverse regions of the country.

A consequence of all the conservation efforts is that Costa Rica has become an excellent  testing and training  ground  for tropical biologists and conservation research  programs. Conser-vation projects are often tried here first, under what most program managers would consider almost ideal conditions. If a project works in Costa Rica, it can then be put into action elsewhere, in countries where conditions are more difficult and, perhaps, less friendly towards  the concept.

Ecoturism or ecotravel consists of  travel to  exotic destinations with the intent of , especially to admiring and enjoying wildlife in relatively undisturbed, natural areas,as well as sharing indigenous cultures. The development and increasing popularity of ecotourism is a clear outgrowth of escalating concern for conservation of the world’s natural resources and biodiversity.

DEMOGRAPHICS AND PSYCOGRAPHICS OF THE TARGET CONSUMER TO COSTA RICA

The following is a compilation of  information available about the basics of consumers who visit Costa Rica . 

Some of this information was provided by the Costa Rican Association Professionals in Tourism,  Government of Costa Rica’s Tourist Board, United States Tourism of Travel Authority and the United States Travel Data Center . 

Much of this information was the basis upon which the tourist board designed its  international marketing campaign . 

We wish to supply you with this basic information as we feel that is important for you to be aware of the target market and target consumer as established by the Government entity through its surveys, market investigations, and arrival investigations.

To the extent that your efforts in marketing specific packages of the region to your corresponding area, is supported by the country’s  marketing strategies, we will all meet with even greater success.

Looking for new experiences, products or intercultural exchange Tend to be experienced travelers.

Have visited more familiar destinations in the Caribbean , Mexico , etc. The basic desire of experiencing life differently is the main motivator. Active vacationers and adventure travelers for whom Costa Rica’s Bio-diversity, natural resources and friendliness of its inhabitants constitute a worthwhile attraction

Key forces driving the consumer choice

The need to be closer to nature, a “back to basics” search, continues to grow. Do to the constant and surmounting pressures of modern life, people need an escape, which is physical as well as psychological. Globalization and the emergence of technologies such as cable, internet, etc. have opened the frontiers for many people who are now exposed to the scenery, nature and culture of other countries fostering greater interest in visitation to new destinations. Conservation and environmental issues that were once the preoccupation of few, is now a mainstream behavior.

Demographics

Over the past few years the demographics of the established target market has undergone slight changes. The basic known factors are the following:

Demographic profile:

Men  and women (slight skew towards men) 35 years plus  (emphasis on the 35 to 54 age group, married) Attended graduate school or more Household incomes in excess of  $75,000 per year Primarily residents of the states of  California  ,  Florida  ,  New York  and  Texas. Experienced in international travel A tendency towards the consumption of outdoor/nature products In addition to the above information, Costa Rica Tourist Board surveys reveal the following information about United States visitors to Costa Rica

Reason for visiting:

Frequency of travel to Costa Rica:

Principal activities

Used of pre-paid package:

Who most influenced choice of destination:

Psychographics

In difference to the standard analysis of a potential client  based on age, income and other demographic information, consumer psychographic information tells us more about the clients preferences and expectations. Simply put demographics is the “Who” and psychographics is the “Why”.