In these digital times, with the internet flooded with travel websites, it’s easy to think that no one needs travel agents anymore. But in fact, travel specialists have become more important than ever for people who want personalized service and luxurious touches on their trips.
The continued popularity of travel agents was evidenced by the big attendance at Educational Travel Agents Seminars held recently in three major cities in California by members of the Pro Image Costa Rica Group. Hundreds of travel specialists in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego attended the seminars, held from July 21 to 24, 2015, to learn how to sell Costa Rica vacations and travel to Costa Rica.
“We had very high quality agencies and tourism companies attending, who were seriously interested in business in Costa Rica. We are very pleased with the results,” commented Daniel Chavarria, president of the Pro Image Costa Rica Group. “California is a market that has a lot of interest for Costa Rica. We are really content that so many people came, even more than planned.”
The Pro Image Costa Rica Group is an alliance of tourism companies that promote tourism in Costa Rica as an attractive destination internationally. With the support of the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), since 1997, 
the Pro Image Costa Rica Group has strengthened Costa Rica’s image in traditional markets such as the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain, and is opening new tourism markets in South America, Europe and Asia.
More than 300 travel agents in all three California cities eagerly learned how to sell Costa Rica travel, attending events of dinners, cocktail receptions, trade shows and sales meetings. The three high-profile travel events were supported by leading travel wholesalers to Costa Rica, including Pleasant Holidays, Festival Tours, Passport Costa Rica and Apple Vacations, and representatives from United Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines and Alaska Airlines – all solid partners with regular flights to Costa Rica from the U.S.
Costa Rican tourism companies made valuable contacts eager to do business in groups, weddings, health tourism, honeymoons, fishing and incentive travel, Chavarria noted.
Future Educational Travel Agents Seminars will be held from Sept. 22 to 25, 2015 in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore in the USA, and later this year in South America and Mexico.
Article by Shannon Farley
