Costa Rica had already become an ecotourism leader. The opportunity was redefining what people believed the destination could be. By reframing the brand around wellness, culture and authenticity, Costa Rica Tourism and MMGY elevated the destination on the global stage, earned tier-one recognition and delivered measurable business growth – proving how destinations can be repositioned at transformational moments.
The brand was ready to meet a change in traveler behavior.
Travelers were increasingly looking for balance, well-being and experiences that felt more grounded in real life. Costa Rica had long offered those things through its culture and pura vida philosophy. The opportunity was to make those qualities part of the decision to visit, not simply something travelers discovered once they arrived.
“Life’s Essentials Found Here” gave travelers a reason to feel Costa Rica before they arrived.
- Created a platform around the motivations modern travelers valued most: balance, well-being and authenticity.
- Took Costa Rica into culture through a New York sensory pop-up, Sundance Film Festival lounge, SXSW sustainability panel and Cirque du Soleil performance.
- Reimagined the digital experience to make inspiration and trip planning feel seamless.
- Connected earned, paid, creators, partnerships and digital into one integrated system.
- Built partnerships with Whole Foods, WeWork, GoPro and Amazon.
A broader idea of Costa Rica created measurable growth.
- Named Travel + Leisure’s Destination of the Year.
- Generated 1.4 billion earned media impressions across 1,467 placements.
- Delivered 20 million-plus influencer impressions and 357 million-plus targeted media impressions.
- Drove a 750% increase in website traffic during launch.
- Increased overall visitation by 5%.
- Delivered 3:1 ROI on air bookings.
Behavior before branding.
We recognized a shift in traveler motivations before most destinations did and built a brand around where demand was heading rather than where it had been. Costa Rica did not need a new identity. It needed more travelers to see the full value of the one it already had.