Costa Rica Chosen as Host for the Adventure Race World Championship

News Release (Costa Rica Adventure Race) / 21.04.2012

From April 21^st to April 28^th, the elimination round for Costa Rica Adventure Race will be held in the provinces of Puntarenas and Guanacaste, for the World Championship 2012.

For the first time in the history of national sports, Costa Rica won the candidacy to host the Adventure Race World Championship 2013 – the world’s largest and internationally well known adventure sports organization.

The announcement was made today by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) –official sponsor of the competition, and by the Director of Adventure Race World Series, Craig Bycroft.

For the Assistant Manager and Marketing Director of ICT, Ireth Rodríguez, the election of the country as host evidences the position and great acceptance Costa Rica has had for developing adventure sports in line with the sustainable tourist development model promoted as country.

According to Ms. Rodríguez, adventure tourism represents one of the main activities performed by people who visit Costa Rica. In 2011, 72% of tourists who entered the country by air practiced activities related with adventure tourism, where canopy, surfing, rafting, sea kayaking, scuba diving, and bungee jumping were the main activities performed. Additionally, according to the International Business Times, Costa Rica obtained the first place in the top 10 of the most popular adventure tourism destinations. Therefore, this recognition fosters the diversification of tourism niches within the framework of sustainable tourism.

According to Johana Argüello, Organizer of Costa Rica Adventure Race 2012, our country was chosen as host after an open-vote period where the United States also participated. The 12 race directors for each qualifying round voted. Costa Rica excelled due to the quality of the tourist destination, its exuberant nature, paradise-like scenarios, the optimal tourist infrastructure, and the sustainability as differentiating element of the tourist activity. Besides, it fulfilled the requirement of having been the scenario for three consecutive years followed by a round of the international circuit, whose third edition starts this coming Saturday, April 21^st.

Organizers also assessed aspects such as the organizational capacity, adventure infrastructure, and quality of the human team involved, among others. The event would be held between October and November 2013.

The event will gather 90 teams composed of four people, for a total of 360 competitors who will cover, at least, a 435-mile route. From 26 to 30 countries from all over the world will participate - Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand.  Besides, the participation of about 50 specialized mass media in the United States, South America, Europe, and Asia such Outdoor Magazine, Fox Sports America and Europe, ESPN America, among others, is expected.

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