INCENTIVE TRAVEL

Costa Rica is known for its impressive scenic beauty, its consolidated system of protected areas, its social and political stability, its high educational level, and its efficient and quality services. All these characteristics are found in an area of just 51,000 square kilometers, surrounded by both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, only five hours away from each other by land or 45 minutes by air. The country's strategic position, located in the heart of the Western hemisphere, the positive attitude of its people toward foreign investment, its infrastructure, the easy access to international markets, and the quality and cost of labor, make of Costa Rica an ideal place for the incentive travel of many transnational companies worldwide. Costa Rica offers a wide range of lodging services, which go from luxury hotels from the main worldwide chains to ecological hostels and bed and breakfasts. The country has three main airports, and two of those are international: Juan Santamaría

Airport, in Alajuela, close to the capital, and the Daniel Oduber Quirós Airport, in Liberia, province of Guanacaste (North Pacific). In Pavas, San José, the Tobías Bolaños Airport offers local flights, and there are many other runways operated by different tourist sites.

Costa Rica is a varied destination which responds to an important array of preferences and needs for Travel Incentive. In Costa Rica, it is possible to enjoy itineraries that include sun and beach, culture, adventure and sports, ecotourism, and others.

By choosing Costa Rica, you can be sure that you have selected a destination that offers experience in the organization, planning, marketing, and successful operation of your event, whether it is a small incentive program or a top executives congress.

Our specialized team is ready to design the program you wish to follow in Costa Rica, according to the motivation, recognition, reward, and appreciation needs that all participants of an incentive travel program deserve, which is the goal of its organizers.

Throughout time we have been able to serve and satisfy incentive groups with the most diverse expectations and from different cultures and nationalities, such as Spain, Finland, Italy, Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, each with very different objectives, but which main purpose is that the experience for their guests is better than the previous one.

In order to make your Travel Incentive to Costa Rica the best, we wish to share with you the different areas in which we take care so that the organization is a total success.

RECEPTION AT THE AIRPORT

We offer a personalized reception service at the Airport once clients have gone through customs. A representative of the National Tourism Board receives the person or group with a sign that shows their personal or group name. Once identified, these people are given a sticker with their names and are escorted to the baggage claim area; they are afterwards taken through the customs area and are finally left in hands of our staff.

For group operations, the service of appraisers is hired, so that clients do not have to worry for taking their luggage to the parking zone of our vehicles.

Before leaving the airport, the person o groups are given a bottle of water with the logotype of your company and cold towels with aromatherapy for them to freshen up. During the trip to the hotel, they are escorted by our guides, who will welcome them to the country and provide them with key information (weather conditions, exchange rate, restaurant opening hours, security, and others.)

GROUND TRANSPORTATION AND GUIDES

Gray Line Tours has a large, modern, and fully-equipped bus fleet (reclining seats, bathroom, air conditioning, video projector, first aid kit), which are driven by experienced drivers and professional tour guides that guarantee to better discover and appreciate the natural wonders of our country. Since we serve groups that go from small families up to large groups, we have vehicles that adjust to the needs and desires for the enjoyment of our clients. We offer units with maximum capacities of 8, 12, 18, 21, 27, 40 and 50 passengers.

All our units have a communication radio that has a nationwide coverage, and moreover, all our drivers and guides have cellular phones, which gives us a great capacity to immediately solve any situation that may come up.

Not least important is to mention that all our transportation units have all necessary permits to operate, as well as full insurance policy for the tranquility of our clients.

DOMESTIC AIR TRANSPORTATION

Some incentive programs have a limited duration; however, in order not to restrict the desire to know the country as much as possible, we suggest in these cases to use charter flights between tourist destinations, making it possible to see the sunrise one day in the Tortuguero National Park, in the Caribbean, and two hours later enjoy the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.

LODGING

Depending on the group size, there are different hotels distributed throughout the country that offer suitable conditions for attending very demanding clients. There are hotels of 3, 4, and 5 stars, but there are also special categories, such as hostels and boutique hotels, which may not meet all international standards but are unique in design and location, and for this reason they become very well-liked.

The large properties are located in the capital and in the Central and North Pacific. In these areas the worldwide renowned hotel chains are represented, such as Occidental, Sol Melia, Barceló, Marriott, Four Seasons, and others. However, there are also hotel developments funded with local capital that fulfill all international standards.

Gray Line Tours, knowing very well the supply of hotels in the country, will always recommend the best and most suitable properties according to taste, needs, and budget of the travel incentive program.

Our specialized staff conducts two annual researches on all hotel properties in the tourist areas; therefore, we are absolutely sure that we will never recommend a property that does not meet the necessary requirements for the success of your incentive travel. At the same time, we also advise you when a property we do not consider suitable is requested by you; thus, we will always make the observation and indicate why a property should not be considered.

THEME PARTIES

The country's richness provides an abundant inspiration to develop theme parties. Volcanoes, coral reefs, and cloud forests can be applied in endless ways to establish the ideal arrangement for a wonderful event. The history and culture topics present the pretext for celebrating with themes such as witches in Escazú, the mystery of the treasure buried by the pirates in Coco Island, and from the point of view of culture and heritage, the Chorotega Indians and the bullfights are, undoubtedly, motifs for their representation.

We offer theme parties in and outside hotels, at restaurants, in the middle of the forests or gardens, at a farm, on the sea sand, or with the moon and the stars as an unbeatable roof. All these ideas can become a reality for all types of budget.

GIFTS

Choose gifts that go from traditional handicrafts to the necessary consumption items for your congress or convention. The classic umbrella or poncho with the company's logo for your trips to the rainforest, bags made from the same natural fibers, and adventure gear that includes a t-shirt, repellent, and suntan lotion.

Handicrafts made with precious woods, coffee root, banana paper, gold, clay, enamel, and other materials. Others include Pre-Columbian art replicas, indigenous ceramics, audacious images of daily life painted in banana paper, jewelry, masks, knitted paintings for walls, or the most popular souvenir of Costa Rica, the hand-painted oxcart.

For consumption items, local products are the perfect complement: fresh coffee that is worldwide recognized, liquors and spirits made of sugar cane and coffee, as well as handmade chocolates.

HOTEL GUEST SERVICE

Professional staff, specialized in Customer Service, can be hired to stay at extended hours to assist participants, while they are at the hotel or during the development of their activities.

The staff will be perfectly aware of the itinerary; therefore, they will be fully trained to answer any question and make the necessary recommendations to have a more pleasant stay or a well-developed activity.

Likewise, the staff will be available for special requests, optional tours, flight confirmation, departure taxes, medical contacts, and others. In brief, they will be the private concierge for the group.

And very important, friendliness and professionalism will be the essential characteristic of our staff.

DINING

Enjoy our unmatchable food combinations. Our dishes provoke the most discerning palates.a crunchy heart of palm salad, a "pejibaye" cream or mousse, or a cassava (yuca) pie combine perfectly with the Costa Rican traditional foods, such as beans, rice, and ripe plantains.

If you are planning a formal dinner or buffet, try to have conversations with your clients in which you suggest colors, texture, and aromas of the tropics, and surprise them with decorations of fruits and vegetables. The country's happy personality and its culture can be felt during a barbecue around the pool, making of your event something unique.

Have dinner outdoors or enjoy of the great selection of restaurants in the city or close to a mountain, river, or in the sophisticate suburbs, enjoying of the local and international gastronomy.

Choose of an ample list of available gourmet food: Italian, Spanish, German, Swiss, French, Thai, Mexican, Peruvian, Indian, Brazilian, Argentine, Chinese, Greek, Japanese, or Caribbean.

Ready for the perfect tropical beverage? With the variety of bars and clubs, you will find staff with a friendly smile who are ready to serve it to you.

FOLKLORIC AND POPULAR EVENTS

Spice up your show adding some folkloric dance groups, a group of fantasy figures on stilts or a traditional music band called "cimarrona." Costa Rica has graduated hundred of actors and musicians, and therefore, the organization of plays or musical can be easily arranged. You can also select popular music bands that play pop, salsa, and merengue music, as well as jazz groups. Of course, large bands and even the National Symphonic Orchestra can also be arranged for you, if desired.

ESCORT PROGRAMS Since the incentive travel participants many times are accompanied by family members or friends that do not attend the work meetings, our Customer Service staff will be happy to recommend half day and full day tours. In this way, escorts can better enjoy and see the country while the work meetings take place. Optional tours are an important ingredient to consider so that satisfaction can be for the whole group. MEETING PLACES OUTSIDE THE OFFICIAL SITE Restaurants, theaters, and cultural and historical places will make of your event a special occasion to remember. Imagine a gala event at the Children's Museum, located at the former penitentiary. Enjoy of a rodeo at the Costa Rican style, traditional folklore dances during dinner, within a traditional framework. Enjoy an exuberant dinner aboard a cruise heading toward a secluded island or with a sunset at an amphitheater.

GRAY LINE TOURS WILL MAKE YOUR NEXT INCENTIVE TRAVEL IN COSTA RICA AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE