AMERICAS – The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) has finally presented its preliminary designs for a new state convention centre to government. The proposed new centre will house local and international events.
Twenty years in the making, the proposed ICC was put on the agenda of a succession of Costa Rican governments but the project has never come to fruition.
The plans show the centre will have 15,000sqm of meetings space with a 6,000sqm exhibition hall, three times larger than the region’s largest existing space, the Ramada Plaza Herradura. It will be located on 10 acres in Barreal de Heredia and is set to open in late 2014.
The ICT and the National Bank and Bank of Costa Rica have signed a commitment letter to fund the project with each party contributing US$10m.
“The government has focused its efforts on the convention centre as it recognises the potential of this niche sector,” Costa Rica Convention Bureau Executive Director, Pablo Solano, tells CMW. “Costa Rica has a recognised brand name in the tourism industry along with what we call the ‘re-visitation phenomena’, which means conference attendees are likely come back to the country with family members.
“We are sure that by building the required infrastructure, we will be able to compete with other destinations, while enforcing commercial networking between private investors,” he adds.
The centre is being built with sustainability in mind using natural materials such as bamboo and taking advantage of natural light where possible. “Waste disposal and a residual water treatment plant is being seriously considered as well as parks, and parking areas,” says Solano.
Two more projects run by the private sector are underway with investment of $12m; one is a conference center at the Intercontinental Hotel.
“All investments are expected to generate 350,000 visitors per year, according to recent the studies from the ICT,” Solano adds.
This project is expected to generate over 175,000 hotel stays per year.
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