Costa Rica has spent years honing its image as a haven for nature lovers. For meeting and incentive planners, this Central American nation’s natural beauty translates to an ever-wider variety of options for memorable venues and exciting group activities.
“Costa Rica has a bustling city, a sophisticated hotel infrastructure—from boutique lodges to major international business hotel brands—combined with natural landscapes and unique adventure activities,” says Alejandro Castro Alfaro, director of marketing at the Costa Rica Tourism Board. “The destination sets the stage for unforgettable group experiences. From ziplining and hiking in the rainforest to surfing and whale watching on the coasts, Costa Rica offers a setting that makes it easy to have successful meetings and fun-filled adventure excursions once business is done.”
To get an idea of the type of natural splendor that awaits, consider this: Costa Rica is home to more species of butterflies than Africa and more species of birds than the continental U.S. and Canada. The nation has two coastlines along the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, with more than 600 miles of beaches. And more than 25 percent of Costa Rica’s land area is protected from development. Some 95 percent of the energy consumed comes from renewable sources, and now the goal is to become one of the world’s first carbon neutral nations.
Meeting planners can choose from unique event venues like butterfly gardens, coffee plantations and sprawling country clubs, or challenge their groups with teambuilding activities like white-water rafting and rappelling. According to Pablo Solano, executive director of the Costa Rica Tourism Board, the MICE market is expected to grow 15 percent annually in the coming years, with 750 international meeting groups arriving in 2015 alone.
“Meeting planners choose destinations that are exciting for attendees and that create interesting experiences that incorporate the local culture,” Castro says. “With these components, all of which Costa Rica offers, planners can generate excitement and increase participation.”
Castro adds that meeting planners are getting more specialized in terms of what they seek for groups in Costa Rica.
“We are seeing more and more retreats within niche sectors, including wellness, family-focused organizations, sports enthusiasts all looking for the latest trends, education and training. We are also seeing that training sessions and seminars are being combined with teambuilding excursions that offer authentic personal experiences of the destination, which can ultimately provide companies with more ROI and increase employee productivity.”
Many meetings and incentive groups enjoy hikes, yoga retreats and share a number of wellness experiences like soaking in thermal baths, according to Castro.
“White-water rafting on the Pacuare river is a great team-building experience, because you have to work together to navigate through the river,” he says.
The allure of nature for groups is a big part of the sales pitch for El Mangroove, an 85-room member of Preferred Hotel Group that opened last year on Papagayo Bay in Guanacaste.
“Costa Rica is a world model in terms of preservation and care for the environment for its commitment to sustainability,” says Jose Monge, the hotel’s general manager. “More of our guests are looking for unique experiences they couldn’t do anywhere else in the world, so in 2015 we will be offering groups new packages to really customize their gatherings.”
PageBreak
Among El Mangroove’s offerings are Beach Get Away, a customized event set up on a secluded beach that’s accessible only by boat, group yoga retreats with customized menus prepared by an on-site nutritionist, and fitness and wellness programs that can be tailored to groups, complete with a “beach boot camp” and other outdoor fitness activities. Overall, the property offers more than 3,500 of meeting and event space.
Andrea Cordova, event sales coordinator at the 153-room Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort, agreed that Costa Rica’s natural settings make for excellent group options.
“With the hectic and fast-paced lifestyle we all currently live in, it is almost impossible to take some time to relax, enjoy the company of colleagues and celebrate accomplishments,” she says. “Costa Rica is a country so diverse in its natural offerings that it gives the perfect setting for any company’s incentive trip. Hot springs for relaxation, sapphire blue waters for snorkeling or ziplining across the tree tops for an adrenaline rush—there is an activity that fits perfectly with all attendees’ needs.”
Cordova says her property tends to focus on incentive groups.
“At Andaz, we mainly work with incentive groups for a wide array of companies who choose us as hosts to celebrate employees, best-sellers and top performers. Guests usually come with their spouses as a reward for their hard work,” she says. “Meeting planners are always looking to make their program a memorable one and even better than the last one. They all want for their attendees to go out and explore the unique pura vida lifestyle that Costa Rica has to offer.”
Cordova recommends that meeting planners seek out activities and settings that are appropriate to their own specific group.
“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all activity that all corporate groups enjoy,” she says. “I personally suggest a sunset catamaran cruise that sails along the Culebra Bay with gorgeous views of the Papagayo Peninsula and the opportunity to see a memorable sunset, which sets the perfect mood and environment to share some bocas and cocktails onboard. For the most adventurous ones, a Borinquen full-day excursion, which entails ziplining, horseback riding and hot springs, is the perfect combination of activities to take some unique pictures—everyone at home will wish they’d won the trip.”
Local DMCs like Rainforest Adventures also provide myriad options for planners that incorporate the nation’s natural beauty. The company’s Treasure Hunt is an interactive excursion designed to complement more traditional rainforest tours, with groups divided into different teams, judged and accompanied by the company’s designated “rainforest explorer” guides. Clues lead groups on a lively scavenger hunt through the forest, and the winning team receives a prize. Another option is the Rainforest Encounter, a one-day tour that includes an interactive performance with a troupe of local actors, dancers and schoolchildren. Set at the Rainforest Adventures park, the activity includes an aerial tram ride, nature walks and open-air interpretive dance shows. Cocktails and a buffet meal at the Rainforest Restaurant are also included.
Costa Rica is also an ideal destination for groups to engage in volunteer activities that help the environment as well as local communities. A company called Monteverde Tours, for example, offers opportunities for individuals to tutor local classes and help maintain cloud forest trails, while El Mangroove allows groups and individuals to get involved in tree adoption, beach cleanups and English-language camps for children through HUMAN, a social-responsibility program.
Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort also connects groups with volunteer opportunities.
“For groups seeking a life-changing experience—both for the attendees and for the Guanacaste community—visiting and sharing time with a family or a school can be an amazing experience,” Cordova says. “Spend a day teaching at a school, or get to know a family. Creciendo Juntos [Growing Together] is an organization that our resort works with, keeping a detailed record of the needs of schools and families in the area. We can create a special program based on their needs and on the time and support the group wants to provide.”
A New York City-based journalist specializing in meetings, tourism and hospitality, Mark Chesnut has visited Costa Rica multiple times on assignment and recently enjoyed his first white-water rafting experience there.