Taiwan's tourism and hotel industries are encouraged to invest in Costa Rica and to cash in on generous subsidies, Gina Guillen, the director-general of international promotion of Costa Rica, said in Taipei Tuesday.
Speaking at the Costa Rica Investment Seminar in Tourism Infrastructure on November 22, Mrs. Guillen said her administration has encouraged hotel investment in Costa Rica because it is a place where weather is good all year long, ?so there is no off-peak season for tourism.
We have a special incentive program to welcome Taiwan investors in tourism. The most important of all, our country can exempt Taiwan investors from taxes for 60 years. Besides that, we can also help in building a hotel's infrastructure. More privileges can be enjoyed once investors come to Costa Rica" said Mrs. Guillen.
According to Guillen, the Costa Rican government has been keen on promoting ecotourism by developing a legal framework for environmental protection in their constitution so that their tourism industry will protect and respect the environment.
We never expected tourism to grow so fast. We have reached a growth of 16 percent just in the past year, and first of all, we advocate sustainable tourism" she said.
According to figures provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are about 20 Taiwan companies in Costa Rica, but none of them belongs to the tourism sector as the majority are in manufacturing.
