FORT LAUDERDALE, FL: A shaky public that wants to spend its
vacation closer to home is the target of the Costa Rica tourist board
(ICT), which has hired Porter Novelli's Florida office as its agency of
record to educate US travelers about the proximity of Costa Rica to the
US.
PN will handle all media relations for the ICT, and will provide
strategic counseling. The aim is to influence key travel industry
players, and to target travel, trade, and consumer magazines, as well as
websites. In addition, PN will provide counsel on all areas ranging from
interactive campaigns to industry relations efforts.
PN's Centroamerica division, located in Costa Rica, will help develop
the communications effort. The campaign will reflect the biodiversity,
culture, and tranquil setting of Costa Rica.
One point that PN will stress is that it takes less time to fly to Costa
Rica from Atlanta than it does to fly to California. Another focus will
be to build the ICT's relationships with airline and travel industry
partners that are based in major travel hubs, like Dallas, Miami, and
Atlanta.
"In light of everything that has happened, we foresee that US travelers
are going to want to stay closer to home," said Isabella Guerin, account
supervisor for PN's Florida office, based in Fort Lauderdale.
She also thinks that the travel industry will have to change tactics in
how it has traditionally lured US travelers overseas.
"More travelers will spend their vacations in Central and Latin
America," she continued. "This is going to give us an advantage, but all
across the board, I think that the travel industry has to rethink its
communications strategy to highlight the comfort level of services that
are available in these countries."
Last year, the small Central American country of Costa Rica attracted
more than one million US visitors.
