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| Guaitíl is a small
town known for the delicate and unique beauty
of its pottery, crafted by local artisans. |
| Courtesy ICT |
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| The Irazu volcano is one
of the most popular sites in the country. |
| Courtesy ICT |
“Even the Internet can’t provide all
of the knowledge that we have,” said Rolando
Campos, the director of sales at the Swiss Travel
company—a firm that just celebrated its thirtieth
anniversary in business.
The ownership of the company has changed hands from
Swiss, as the name suggests, to American, and now
Costa Rican. Emilia Gamboa, Swiss Travel’s President,
was born in Costa Rica, moved to Spain, however, the
childhood memories of her stunningly beautiful homeland
made her return to Costa Rica. “I grew up in
Costa Rica in the fifties, surrounded by an intact
environment of great beauty that was part of my everyday
life during childhood,” said Gamoa. “I would
run through forests, swim in crystal clear rivers
or watch the birds.”
These days her guests consist of individual travelers,
groups, incentives trips and cruise lines. Swiss Travel
gladly shares with clients the secrets of Costa Rica
that have been discovered through long and hard work.
Service is given extra attention, and the slogan “With
the Accent on Service” really means 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
Swiss Travel’s packages cover the entire country.
Depending upon the level of one’s adventurous
spirit, Costa Rica’s rivers can be explored by
boat, kayak, or raft. All three of the country’s
most visited volcanoes – Arenal, Poas and Irazu
– are offered too, in combination with the trips
to waterfalls, gardens and handicrafts. Biological
stations, where world-class study and research are
conducted, are open to school groups, or anyone interested
in biodiversity. A few other attractive options are
Tortuga Island, taking the Sky Walk in the rain forest,
a city tour of San José, culture nights, or
a visit to Guaitíl pottery town, where the
ancient methods of pottery making are revealed.
When Swiss Travel began its operations, tours would
typically take one day. The whole concept of tourism
had a very different nature. Its impact on the economy
was not all that significant, and tourism was primarily
for those who loved nature. Today, however, respect
and careful, conscious planning are the key words.
Swiss Travel has long looked for new destinations
and services, which may be the reason why it is the
number one travel company in Costa Rica in terms of
size and service. More than ten different offices
take care of managing existing destinations, and one
person is constantly travelling around Costa Rica
seeking out new ideas and destinations. A division
of Swiss Travel Service Group has also been established
in Nicaragua.
“Tourism in Costa Rica is a big plate full of
food,” says Mr. Campos. Tourists in Costa Rica
can get very close to nature but still enjoy top comfort
and luxury. For example, Tortuguero, one of the most
rapidly growing locations, forms a large area of natural
canals. Its main attraction is wildlife watching,
which can be done even from the boat. No need to be
a top-flight athlete to take in all the scenery, as
wheelchairs can easily navigate in Tortuguero!
Swiss Travel has always been creative, and it was
among the first companies to offer canopy and butterfly
watching. According to Campos, the biggest challenge
facing the Costa Rican tourism industry is to maintain
the country as safe and secure as it is. Moreover,
as the industry is so widespread and touches so many
Costa Rican lives, Campos hopes that the distribution
of revenues remains the same. Today, over 80% of the
Costa Rican tourist industry is in the hands of small
to medium size companies, oftentimes families.
One of the ways to contribute to this important
factor of democracy is to support the projects of
local people, and provide visits and stays in as
many areas as possible. One of the newest such destinations
is the Bosque de Paz, which is a private project
belonging to a Costa Rican family located near Sarchí,
a famous handicraft town. Over 5,000 acres of tropical
forest have been designated the “Forest of
Peace.” Here you can find hummingbirds, orchids,
monkeys, and more than 300 species of birds.
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