Costa Rica Hosts Expotur 2026 as Tourism Arrivals Continue to Rise
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Expotur, Costa Rica’s main tourism business fair, will return to San José from May 27 to 29, bringing international buyers and local tourism companies together as the country looks to build on a strong start to 2026. The 39th edition of the event will take place at the Crowne Plaza San José La Sabana Hotel.
Expotur is a business-to-business travel mart focused on connecting Costa Rican tourism sellers with selected international buyers through pre-arranged meetings. The event began in 1985 and is held annually. This year’s edition comes at an important moment for Costa Rica tourism. The country received 1,033,777 foreign visitors in the first quarter of 2026, an 11.3% increase over the same period last year and a stronger first-quarter result than in 2019, before the pandemic.
Expotur 2026 has reached its full international participation target, with 140 buying companies from priority and emerging markets confirmed for the event. The fair is expected to bring together hoteliers, tour operators, destination management companies, car rental firms, theme parks, adventure parks and other businesses tied to Costa Rica’s tourism industry.
The event is designed less as a public expo and more as a commercial meeting point. Participating companies receive a structured agenda of appointments with buyers, with the 2026 format focused on 20-minute pre-arranged meetings between sellers and buyers. Expotur says each participating seller is guaranteed 24 scheduled appointments.
For Costa Rica, the timing matters. Tourism businesses are seeing strong demand, especially from North America, but they are also dealing with pressure from a strong colón, higher operating costs and greater regional competition. Expotur gives hotels, local operators and destination companies a chance to secure future business before the next high season.
The fair also gives Costa Rica an opportunity to promote more than its best-known beach and rainforest destinations. Expotur’s official categories for 2026 include adventure, wellness, culture, ecotourism, digital nomads, birdwatching, national parks, sun and beach, and volunteer or student travel. That reflects a broader push to sell Costa Rica as a year-round destination with options beyond traditional vacation packages.
ACOPROT, the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals, hosts the event. The organization represents tourism professionals and works with public and private entities tied to Costa Rica’s tourism activity. Expotur also has support from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, Essential Costa Rica, Proimagen and the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels.
The 2025 edition closed with more than 3,000 business appointments and projected more than $39 million in tourism income for Costa Rica’s economy, including hotels, restaurants, transportation and related services. Over its history, the fair has generated more than $2 billion in projected tourism foreign exchange and more than 15,000 local business participations.
Expotur’s return also comes as Costa Rica’s arrivals remain heavily tied to air connectivity. In the first quarter, 959,738 visitors entered the country by air, with Juan Santamaría International Airport handling 590,952 arrivals and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia receiving 368,413.
The fair will not be aimed at ordinary travelers booking a vacation this weekend. Its impact is longer term. Deals made at Expotur can shape which Costa Rica hotels, tours and regions are promoted abroad in the months ahead.
For small and mid-sized tourism businesses, that access can matter as much as visitor numbers. Expotur gives them a direct line to foreign buyers who package, sell and promote Costa Rica in key markets. For the country, it is a chance to keep tourism growth moving while reminding international partners that Costa Rica still wants to compete on nature, service, sustainability and variety.
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المصدر: Tico Times