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Costa Rica’s Wellness Pura Vida on display in Termatalia

 

  • Costa Rica will be in attendance at the 18th edition of Termatalia on September 12-14, displaying its advances in wellness tourism.
  • This specialized trade fair will be held in Iguazu, Brazil, with more than 30 countries attending.

Advances in the Wellness Pura Vida strategy being implemented by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) to promote wellness tourism will be on display on September 12-14 in the Feria Termatalia in Iguazu, Brazil, in which more than 30 countries will take part.

Costa Rica is participating in the international trade fair for the third consecutive time, this time with a stand and the participation of business leaders from the tourism sector. The fair is the world’s largest in the area of hot springs, wellness and health. In addition, there will be demonstrations of healthy Costa Rican cuisine. The participation will be accompanied by destination-themed presentations that will focus on presenting Costa Rica as a wellness destination with scenery that exudes the natural energy of its biodiversity, which adds value to the experience.

“Building on the strategy, one of the goals of the ICT’s participation in Termatalia 2018 is to develop our network, which is a task we are undertaking with businesses that work in developing wellness tourism. For the first time, we will be presenting a demonstration of recipes and cuisine that is unique to the Blue Zone of the Nicoya Peninsula. The destination will also be shown to tour operators who sell and promote Costa Rica as an integrated destination for wellness, nature and adventure”, explained Melissa Tencio, coordinator of the ICT’s Wellness Pura Vida strategy. Tencio added that participating in this specialized fair feeds into the strategy, helps capacity-building efforts and helps the public-private partnership move forward while contributing to Costa Rica’s positioning in this market niche.

One of the most important events for the Costa Rican delegation will be the exchange of information in the panel “Strategies for Developing International Destinations for Health and Wellness Tourism”, which will feature international experts from Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, Spain, Mexico, Austria, and other countries. The purpose of this event is to build knowledge, establish a basis for public policy in the respective countries and identify new global trends. In addition, Costa Rica will be present in a forum on cities with hot springs.

Wellness tourism is a global phenomenon of great economic significance, which is growing at twice the rate of tourism at large. Between 2013 and 2015, for example, worldwide revenue in this niche grew 14%, at $563 billion, and the Global Wellness Institute estimates that it will reach $808 billion in 2020.

Termatalia as a window into the world of global wellness

The eighteenth edition of Termatalia will be held in the city of Iguazu Falls, Brazil. According to this year’s organizers, the trade fair will mainly focus on exchanging experiences from a business perspective. World experts, business roundtables, investor forums, workshops and seminars will play a leading role, with participation from the international press. The event will also feature an international water tasting.

As part of Termatalia’s programming, the International Meeting on Water and Health stands out as a special attraction, with a panel of world experts amidst a “water bar” with a relaxation and wellness area, hot spring paths and a recreated hot spring center. In parallel, the trade fair space is divided into thematic areas dedicated to wellness, healthy habits, dermocosmetology, dermatological treatments, innovations in skincare products and healthy diets.

“Costa Rica will also be participating in culinary demonstrations, showing healthy diets that are aligned with the National Plan for Sustainable and Healthy Costa Rican Cuisine (PNGCS), with an emphasis on recipes from the Blue Zone of the Nicoya Peninsula and some dishes from La Fortuna de San Carlos, a tourist region known internationally for its hot springs. The purpose of these demonstrations will be to show the integral manner in which wellness can be combined with healthy diets”, noted Alejandro Madrigal, a Termatalia delegate in Costa Rica.

The chef in charge of the demonstrations of healthy Costa Rican cuisine will be Nicole Aguilar. She was selected by the Costa Rican Culinary Foundation, the ICT, the National Association of Chefs and the Gastronimía Esencial Project. “Participating in Termatalia will help put our country on the world culinary map thanks to creative recipes that use local, organic products. At the same time, it will allow us to promote sustainable, healthy development”, said Ms. Aguilar.