OHMCR The Best Costa Rica Travel Guide http://www.ohmcr.com Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:57:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en US Officials Alert Citizens about Visiting Nicaragua http://www.ohmcr.com/us-officials-alert-citizens-about-visiting-nicaragua http://www.ohmcr.com/us-officials-alert-citizens-about-visiting-nicaragua#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:55:53 +0000 Carolyn Ramer http://www.ohmcr.com/?p=125 Government officials set out an alert to all of its citizens this week regarding their presence in Nicaragua. Due to the recent municipality elections in this Central American country, several outbreaks of violence and protest have taken place leaving hundreds injured.

The communication was sent out to all consulates in which it alerts all U.S citizens to maintain a high state of alert as well as adopt safety measures while in the country of Nicaragua.

The alert is to remain active until December 12th as authorities expect the manifestations and acts of violence to continue for the next few days. The elections in Nicaragua took place November 9th and have since been under international scrutiny as well as the growing street insecurity.

Daniel Ortega’s government has accused the United States as well as the Organization of American States and several other international organizations of trying to “destabilize” its government due to accusations and questioning of the transparency of its recent elections.

The result of the recent elections in Nicaragua placed the Frente Sandinista in the lead with a vast majority. U.S citizens as well as all tourists in Nicaragua should be extremely cautious as for riots and manifestations can happen at any moment and anywhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Npo3V6qkw

]]> http://www.ohmcr.com/us-officials-alert-citizens-about-visiting-nicaragua/feed China and Costa Rica Talk Free Trade http://www.ohmcr.com/china-and-costa-rica-talk-free-trade http://www.ohmcr.com/china-and-costa-rica-talk-free-trade#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:13:06 +0000 Carolyn Ramer http://www.ohmcr.com/?p=124 The recent visit of president Hu Jintao of the People’s Republic of China to Costa Rica was considered a “historic” one by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias.

Hu Jintao remained in Costa Rica on Monday during which he and president Arias signed several agreements as well as set a date for the first round of a free trade negotiation to be carried out in January 2009.

Jintao’s visit to Costa Rica was a quick one and concluded at 4:45pm without incident.  A public act that carried on for 40 minutes included the signing of several agreements between both nations.  Jintao addressed the Costa Rican public by means of a translator and did not take any questions from the press.

Among the agreed negotiations is the financing of the construction of a new and more modern National Stadium, the formalization of the free trade agreement, guarantee of Costa Rica’s participation in the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, the creation of a language and cultural center at the University of Costa Rica and a pre-contract to create a bi-national fuel refinery among others.

With the free trade treaty between China and Costa Rica, both nations hope to strengthen commercial ties, as both countries will benefit from the trade.  During Jintao’s translated speech, he mentioned that his country has the intention of increasing their import of Costa Rican products as well as promote and support Chinese investment in Costa Rica.

Hu Jintao and his staff left Costa Rica Monday evening towards Cuba where the Chinese president will continue with his scheduled meetings.

]]> http://www.ohmcr.com/china-and-costa-rica-talk-free-trade/feed Central America develops an Interregional Marketing Strategy http://www.ohmcr.com/central-america-develops-an-interregional-marketing-strategy http://www.ohmcr.com/central-america-develops-an-interregional-marketing-strategy#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:54:45 +0000 Carolyn Ramer http://www.ohmcr.com/?p=123 The Central America region has been working close together lately in order to promote the entire isthmus as one multicultural and multi-destination tourist market.  The objective is to attract the European and Asian tourism market by offering a well balanced and varied final product.

By promoting Central America as one market, the region hopes to achieve a constant and maintained tourism growth.  According to the Central America & Caribbean Digital Newspaper, the multi-destination tourism market in Central America already represents a 45% of the total market which authorities seek to increase.

The Central American organization hired the Gran Marc de Costa Rica firm for the development of the Interregional Tourism Marketing Program.  The Secretary of the Central America Tourism Integration along with the financial support of the United Nation’s Central American Regional Integration Support Program has allowed for the marketing strategy to advance.

The firm has carried out extensive marketing research in all 7 countries of the Central American region as well as interviewed ministers of tourism and other key entities in order to elaborate a fully integrated marketing strategy.

Chambers of tourism as well as tour operators, regional airlines, car rentals and other tourism related industries have contributed in the firm’s integral vision of the whole Central American region.

]]> http://www.ohmcr.com/central-america-develops-an-interregional-marketing-strategy/feed Maquenque Wetland Proposed for Ramsar Recognition http://www.ohmcr.com/maquenque-wetland-proposed-for-ramsar-recognition http://www.ohmcr.com/maquenque-wetland-proposed-for-ramsar-recognition#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:13:09 +0000 Carolyn Ramer http://www.ohmcr.com/?p=122 The Maquenque Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica’s northern region has been submitted as a possible candidate for a Ramsar recognition.  The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran with the objective of providing a framework for international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

Ramsar currently has over 158 members and over 1,755 wetlands that make up the Wetland List of the most important wetlands in the world.  Costa Rica is a member of Ramsar and has a total of 11 wetlands recognized by Ramsar.

This year’s annual convention was held in South Korea at which Costa Rica presented the documents to include the Maquenque Wetlands in the Ramsar list.  In order for a wetland to be considered as a candidate, it must comply with Ramsar’s regulations.  The submitted wetland must be either a unique area or be of importance for the conservation and protection of the area’s biodiversity.

The Maquenque Wildlife Refuge is located in the northern region of the province of Heredia in Sarapiqui.  The Maquenque protected area occupies a great portion of the Costa Rican protected territory that is to be integrated with the Nicaraguan protected territory for the formation of a bi-national biological corridor.

The Maquenque Wildlife Refuge is home to over 80 species of fish, 81 species of reptiles, 48 species of amphibians, 515 bird species, 139 mammals and over 350 tree species.

And most important of all, the Maquenque Wildlife Refuge protects one of the last Green Macaw population and almond trees that are crucial for the macaw’s survival and reproduction.

To be accepted as part of the Ramsar Wetland List, the Maquenque Wetlands will join other Costa Rican wetlands such as Caño Negro, Gandoca-Manzanillo, Isla del Coco, Palo Verde, Terraba-Sierpe and six other wetlands.

]]> http://www.ohmcr.com/maquenque-wetland-proposed-for-ramsar-recognition/feed The Costa Rican Chamber of Eco Tourism http://www.ohmcr.com/the-costa-rican-chamber-of-eco-tourism http://www.ohmcr.com/the-costa-rican-chamber-of-eco-tourism#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:36:19 +0000 Carolyn Ramer http://www.ohmcr.com/?p=121 The term Eco-Tourism has become a popular one among tourism service providers not only in Costa Rica but in the entire Central American region as well.  However, the term has been thrown around so many times that its meaning or what it represents has become quite vague.

Therefore, in Costa Rica, an environmentally-conscious group of people got together to legally create the Costa Rican Chamber of Eco-Tourism in order to organize this sector.

The first thing the Chamber did was define the Eco-Tourism concept as a specialized segment within the responsible tourism sector that promotes and supports nature’s conservancy and the region’s cultural values.  The Eco-Tourism sector is responsible of interpreting these values to the tourist while contributing to the community’s social-economical ambiance.

In addition, the Chamber seeks to gather all people and organizations within the tourism industry and that are linked to eco-tourism activities.  All eco-tourism related issues will be addressed to the Chamber who has the ability to determine the policies, tendencies and legal actions that may be carried out.

Since its creation in 2003, the Costa Rican Chamber of Eco-Tourism has over 60 actively involved members from sectors such as hospitality, tour operator, car rentals, banks, arts and crafts, research organizations and others.

The Hacienda Guachipelin near the Rincon de la Vieja National Park for example, has gladly enrolled as a member of the chamber in order to contribute with the sector’s growth, promotion and social responsibility.