The seminar on Costa Rica tourism last evening was a wonderful learning experience.  We found out that Columbus actually discovered and named the country in 1503, calling it 'rich coast', in Spanish Costa Rica.
It has been a democratic republic for one hundred years and has a population of five million people.
The seminar  announced a new tourism program called "Essential Costa Rica" which is a joint effort by one hundred ten corporate members as well as the public sector.
The country has much to offer the visitor with two international airports serviced by ten major airlines.
Here you have the choice of coasts on two oceans, one the Caribbean, and on the other side the North Pacific Ocean.
Here too lush rain forests, twenty per cent of which  protected from development with National Parks.
This relatively small country has five per cent of the world species,  860 birds species alone.
The country considers bio diversity one of its most valuable resources and has received world wide recognition for its efforts.
Since tourism is so important to the economy much effort has been directed into offering a wide range of hotels and inns as well as a large number of activities for visitors.
The Costa Rica Road Show was held at the Hilton Universal City Hotel with a large attendance.