New #tourism partnerships between #Costa Rica and #China │ #costadevelopers

#china and #costarica

Commercial alliances with China have increased in the Government of President Laura Chinchilla.

The Minister of tourism of Costa Rica, Allan Flores said in recent days from Beijing was signed a memorandum on air cooperation between China and Costa Rica with which it seeks to increase Chinese tourism to Costa Rica.

Initiative pursues the increase at four times the number of visitors from China in the next three years. According to the goal intends to spend 12 thousand current Chinese per year to 50 000 in 2016.

The Minister indicated that this establishes a line of air cooperation which was signed in August of last year and which was given validity in President Laura Chinchilla's recent trip to Beijing.

This agreement is beneficial for those airlines that fly between the two countries, through the major cities of the United States, such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami.

"In the absence of direct air links between China and Costa Rica, something that is technically very difficult due to the long distance (as with almost all Latin America), this type of links seek to stimulate the arrival of Chinese tourists," said.

For example, developing travel packages that include Costa Rica as a destination added to U.S. cities already very popular among travelers from China, said Flores.

The country is currently in search of a profile of specific tourist, those who travel frequently outside of China, and have for favorite destinations, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia and Viet Nam.

The country wants to be shown as a safe destination, suitable to enjoy eco-tourism, bird watching, and other adventure activities.

This is part of the plan for the diversification of the attraction of tourism in Costa Rica, since this activity is usually promoted to countries like United States, Canada and the European Union; however the country now seeks to attract to the Asian region.

During his visit to China, the Costa Rican delegation, which also includes the Deputy Minister of transport, Ana Cristina Jenkins, met with leaders of three of the major airlines in the country (Air China, China Eastern and Hainan Airlines) and the director of the administration of Civil Aviation, Li Jiaxiang.

Posted by Costa Developers

The Government of Costa Rica is working to improve private investment in the country

Within the framework of the celebration of the national day of the private enterprise, President Laura Chinchilla said of the challenges and efforts performed by the country to improve investment private.

"I am referring to aspects such as excess paperwork, insecurity and the backlog of infrastructure, which became real obstacles to development and competitiveness", stressed the President.

President stressed those efforts to improve public policies already acidic positive trends in combating crime, with reduction of rates of homicides, violent assaults and people victims of crimes, with the consequent drop in concern by insecurity citizen.

She also said that efforts will remain constant for excess paperwork, decrease time and empower citizens against abuses of the administration.

Referring to Infrastructure argues that the Government will continue waging battles to leave the country ports first world, improvement of the customs, and the largest investment in highways and roads of history.

Chinchilla reminded businessmen gathered in celebration of the national day of the company private that in its last report on competitiveness, the World Bank recognized Costa Rica as one of the 10 Nations with more efforts in improving its regulatory framework.

Also emphasized that our economy shows good performance with low inflation of the past decades, growth close to five percent, records of export, foreign investment, tourism and employment generation.

The President said that the authorities will continue with the permanent monitoring the exchange rate to avoid a negative impact to the productive sector, and with the efforts to control high rates of interest and speculative capital.

Chinchilla recognized that healthy economic growth was due to some decisions in public policy as well as the thrust of the business sector, in a world economy in which many countries face economic and social conditions.

President also mentioned that Costa Rica has many strong elements to follow along the path of economic stability, as the most stable democracy in Latin America, an exceptional human capital, a growing business, and a strong respect for nature.

The President referred to the need to promote reforms to encourage private participation in electricity generation, and thus reduce costs.

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Costa Rica declares calypso music ‘national patrimony’

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The government officially recognizes the popular musical tradition as part of its cultural heritage.

Walter Ferguson has been singing and playing calypso music in Costa Rica’s Caribbean region for more than 70 years.

It’s as Caribbean as rice and beans and sunshine. Calypso music has been popular along Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast since the late 1800s. More than a century later, the government of Costa Rica has declared the style of music “national patrimony.”

Executive decree No. 37418-C, published in the official government newspaper La Gaceta last week, gives special recognition to Calypso as part of Costa Rica’s cultural and historical identity.

Calypso was introduced into Costa Rica by Jamaican immigrants who settled along the Caribbean coast. The style of music combines simple, yet catchy, chord structures with lyrics that tell stories as diverse as a region’s history, a family’s financial woes or a no-good, drinking, cheating and gambling spouse. Calypso singers relate the joys of local cuisine, the beauty of the Caribbean and the struggles of the Afro-Caribbean people throughout history.

Calypso is said to have originated in the Caribbean archipelagic state of Trinidad and Tobago, and began as a form of communication between slaves from Africa. For more than a century, calypso singers have entertained throughout the Caribbean province of Limón, and even as far west as the capital, San José. 

Costa Rica’s most famous calypso musician, Walter Ferguson, who lives in the small southern Caribbean beach community of Cahuita, helped put Costa Rican calypso on the map, having performed in concerts in Europe and elsewhere.

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Barrack Obama wins a second term!

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Barrack Obama has won his second term.

It is no longer in doubt he has won! Congrats now it is time to actually make some changes and get the nation going in the right direction.

US President Barack Obama rolled to re-election Tuesday night, vanquishing former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney despite a weak economy that plagued his first term and put a crimp in the middle class dreams of millions. In victory, he confidently promised better days ahead.

Obama spoke to thousands of cheering supporters in his hometown of Chicago, praising Romney and declaring his optimism for the next four years. “While our road has been hard, though our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come,” he said.

Romney made a brief, graceful concession speech before a disappointed crowd in Boston. He summoned all Americans to pray for Obama and urged the night’s political winners to put partisan bickering aside and “reach across the aisle” to tackle the nation’s problems.

Still, after the costliest – and one of the nastiest – campaigns in history, divided government was alive and well. Democrats retained control of the Senate with surprising ease. With three races too close to call, they had the possibility of gaining a seat.

Republicans won the House, ensuring that Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, Obama’s partner in unsuccessful deficit talks, would reclaim his seat at the bargaining table. With numerous races as yet uncalled, the size of the GOP majority was unknown.

At Obama headquarters in Chicago, a huge crowd gathered waving small American flags and cheering. Supporters hugged each other, danced and pumped their fists in the air. Excited crowds also gathered in New York’s Times Square, at Faneuil Hall in Boston and near the White House in Washington, drivers joyfully honking as they passed by.

With returns from 88 per cent of the nation’s precincts, Obama had 55.8 million, 49.8 per cent of the popular vote. Romney had 54.5 million, or 48.6 per cent.

Posted by Costa Developers