A total of 5,800 residents of the United States and Canada participated in the “Who’s essential to you” contest, promoted by the ICT.
Being the inspiration for his wife Bárbara Beck in difficult moments of quarantine, illness and death caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, allowed Canadian computer technician Lukas Beck to win a 7-day trip to our country.
Beck was one of the winners of the campaign “Who’s essential to you? “, launched by the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism in the United States and Canada between November 2020 and January 2021, for 15 people and their companion to visit Costa Rica for a week.
“I would like to nominate my husband Lukas Beck who worked very hard during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is a computer technician and has ensured that individuals and students who work from home have affordable computers so they can work and stay in school. Unfortunately, his mother died on New Year’s Day (2021) due to Covid-19, it has been quite hard for him, and I think he would really enjoy the vacation in Costa Rica to regain strength, rest a bit and process the pain”, was the message written by Barbara when nominating her partner.
Of the gift given by Barbara, Lukas assured that it came at the best time because he needed to rest. “We are already in Canada, unfortunately. I wish we were still in Costa Rica, we had an amazing time, definitely the best vacation we have ever had. Carrillo Beach (Guanacaste) was incredible, the guides were very well informed and we were impressed by the Costa Rican people, very friendly and helpful, the food was incredible, especially the fresh fruit,” Beck said a few days ago, recalling what he experienced in our country and as one of the winners of this ICT campaign.
He, along with his wife and three children, enjoyed zip-lining in Monteverde and snorkeled in Guanacaste, noting that they found a clean and safe place to be in Costa Rica.
The dynamic consisted of nominating someone who had inspired those first months of confinement and uncertainty caused by the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, a global context that still exists.
Falling in love with the country
“Costa Rica is a country that manages to make travelers fall in love, eager to reconnect with what is truly essential in life, enjoy its natural beauties, try its gastronomy and the example is set by each of these winners, who after living this experience, they want to return and do it with other people so that they can enjoy the same as them in a paradise of sustainability”, said Carolina Trejos, director of ICT marketing.
Trejos also highlighted the interest in our country as a tourist destination that was reflected in the participation of 5,800 potential tourists from the United States and Canada, who were interested in the concept of the campaign Who’s essential to you?, an example of the creative actions promotional campaigns that are carried out so as not to lose the connection with two of the main issuing markets to the country in the framework of the gradual recovery of tourism.
More Essential Winners
Adrienne Cox, from Wyoming, United States, indicated her desire to return to the country at some point, she traveled with her husband Brian, whom she nominated for being someone essential to her, her family and to Johnson Junior High School, where he is director.
“We were able to hear a group of monkeys on the opposite slope when we were at Punta Islita. It was phenomenal! Thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to visit your beautiful country and for all the work you did to make sure we had a wonderful time. We will always carry Costa Rica in our hearts as a place of wonder and beauty,” said Cox.
The contest in Costa Rica was supported by companies associated with the tourism sector through joint work with the Chamber of Hotels and the ProImagen-Futuropa Association. Hotels such as Punta Islita, Nammbú, El Establo and companies such as Rainforest Adventure and La Fortuna Waterfall were vital so that the experiences were to the liking of the winners.
According to the most recent ICT data, in the first quarter of 2022, 527,678 tourists from the United States and Canada entered by air. In 2021, 852,182 tourists arrived from the United States, the main source market for tourists to Costa Rica, recovering 66.4% of the 2019 figures. In the case of the Canadian market, flights were reactivated in the last quarter from this relevant issuing market and the year closed with the visitation of 18,721 travelers. (https://thecostaricanews.com/vacation-trip-to-costa-rica-was-the-essential-prize-for-north-american-tourists/)
