During my first week in Costa Rica, I’ve learned more than I ever imagined about the history, culture, and economy of the country. It has been especially interesting to see how the natural beauty of the country has been harnessed as one of its primary economic assets, as tourism is one of the leading industries in Costa Rica. After seeing wildlife ranging from crocodiles to macaws, and hiking to the crater of an active volcano, it’s easy to see why so many tourists flock to see the beauty of the rainforests.
We’ve also been able to see how many Costa Rican traditions, customs, and aspects of daily life are similar to those in the US. For example, we attended a year-end festival called a corrido which was almost identical to a county fair. There was bull riding, barrel racing, amusement rides, and cowboy hats galore. On the business side, our lecturers at the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica have been happy to point out the similarities in red-tape and rules about starting a business.
One thing that’s stuck out to me as we travel throughout the Central Valley and greater San Jose area is the amount of American companies operating here. Obviously, there are American fast food chains like McDonald’s and Subway, but the influence also runs deeper. Intel, for example, has one of their largest semiconductor plants in Costa Rica, which, along with the health technology industry, forms a huge portion of exports to the US. Going to the mall five minutes down the road feels like stepping into an alternate-reality Galeria, and there is a Walmart in almost every town.
Some of the activities I was most looking forward to were the tours of chocolate and coffee manufacturers. At the coffee plant, we got to speak with the international sales manager about how they are working to expand their production capacity to support growing international demand. During the chocolate tasting, the owner of the company told us how cacao farms were helping to reintroduce more biodiversity than other agricultural land uses, since cacao grows in the shade of other native plants. Both companies were working with the local communities to provide well-paid manufacturing jobs, while also offering higher prices as incentives for farmers using organic and sustainable methods. It was very interesting to hear how Costa Rica’s overall focus on environmental protection and sustainability has extended into the business world.
Overall, I’ve had a fun and informative week, and I’m looking forward to continuing learning about Costa Rica, its people, and its economy.