Costa Rican tourism business leaders will be trained on security and innovation issues during the XX National Tourism Congress (CNT), an event being organized by the National Chamber of Tourism in collaboration with the Costa Rican Tourism Board on November 21-22 in the Costa Rica Convention Center.

The CNT is the largest event for the country’s tourism sector, bringing together leaders and representatives of the public and private sectors. Each year’s event seeks to delve deep into the current issues affecting the industry while also creating spaces for dialog and reflection.

The slogan of the twentieth Congress will be “Towards Tourism Excellence: Innovation and Security for a Competitive Destination”. To this end, it will feature talks, conferences and discussion panels, which will be facilitated by local and international experts.

“Security and innovation are priority areas for the competitiveness of the destination. That is why we are seeking to build capacity among our business leaders through training and the communication of experiences and success stories. We are seeking to find solutions to the challenges we have and to strengthen the sustainability, profitability and competitiveness of our tourism sector”, said the President of Canatur, Sary Valverde.

The first day of the event will be completely free of charge and exclusively by invitation for representatives of the tourism sector. The day will be reserved for dealing with issues relevant to the country’s integrated security, from prevention to proper management of emergency situations.

Local experts will participate in these events alongside specialists from countries including the United States and Spain, who will speak about the impact of crime on the tourism industry and risk management for events and tourism.

According to Maria Amalia Revelo, Minister of Tourism, “sustainable tourism must also be safe, which is why the training being held by ICT on the first day of the XX National Tourism Congress has set the goal of raising awareness and involving business leaders in the task of improving the service given to tourists, as well as the assistance they receive in the event of an emergency. This is one of the efforts that this administration is undertaking to coordinate the actions of the State, local governments, business leaders, civil society, academia, embassies and other actors for preventive measures to make Costa Rica a safer destination”.

The second day will have innovation as its primary focus, with the objective of ensuring that the sector adapts to new global trends and challenges. Juan Manuel Baixauli, an expert in the field, will be in attendance to give two keynote speeches: one on Innovation and Creating a Tourist Product, and another on Trends in Tourism Distribution.

In addition, there will be panels on competitiveness and more precise information will be presented on the impact of tourism activity on the country’s economy.

“It is an honor for us to be part of this important event, since innovation is a key pillar of our strategy that is founded in our business vision. We understand that innovation is a process rather than a single idea or action. The opportunity of hosting this meeting allows us to make a substantial contribution to the discussions, since visitors will experience an event carried out at the CCCR, which is one of the most innovative experiences currently offered by the Costa Rican tourism sector”, added Álvaro Rojas, General Manager of the Costa Rica Convention Center.

Tickets to the second day of the Congress cost $125 per person or Canatur member, or $95 for affiliates and $75 for students.

For more information about the event, please call 2234-6222 or e-mail [email protected]