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Costa Rica Eyes Central American Travel Market with Great Expectations |
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The Costa Rican travel sector is ready to make the most of the first regional tourism fair: the Central American Travel Market.
The event (scheduled from October 3 through 5 in Guatemala) is meant to promote the tourist offerings of Central American countries to wholesalers from Europe, Asia and South America, William Rodriguez, chairman of the Costa Rican Tourism Chamber, said in a news conference.
As many as a hundred exhibitors from the Central American region are expected to show up for the event in hope of luring some fifty wholesalers from such nations as Spain, Germany, France, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil and Argentina.
Mr. Rodriguez noted the tradeshow will step up plans aimed at putting the region on the multi-destination map, thus giving potential travelers the possibility of scouring several sightseeing spots in each and every country.
A possible combination, for instance, could team up Costa Rica's lavish nature with a stroll down the archaeological sites of both Guatemala and Honduras.
Even though the event is being planned by private institutions like the Federation of Central American Tourism Chambers, the Costa Rican government will put up funds of its own through the sponsorship of the Berlin ITB Fair, explained Rodrigo Castro, the nation's tourism minister.
Last year, Costa Rica received at least five million trekkers, most of them hailing from the United States, Europe and South America.
Next year's 2005 Central American Travel Market will take place in Panama.
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