Labeled by National Geographic Magazine as home to "the most biologically intense place on earth," Costa Rica is a small but ecologically rich nation. And in honor of this worthy designation and the pride that Costa Ricans feel in what their country has on offer, the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) is releasing a new, world-spanning advertising campaign called "Essential Costa Rica. My Choice, Naturally."

The highly sophisticated and historic initiative was launched this week in partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and CNN International. The goal is to achieve new markets through diverse platforms with the message of Costa Rica's eco-tourism movement.

" [This] is a sensorial, inspiring and aspirational campaign that shows Costa Rica as a destination that generates authentic travel experiences, which create a sense of well-being in visitors," says Mauricio Ventura, Costa Rica's Minister of Tourism.

Unprecedented in Latin America

ICT's new marketing efforts are directed at five markets, including England, France, Mexico, Canada and the United States and the ads will be spread across social media, digital and television platforms. These five markets account for the largest number of international arrivals into the country according to ICT, which recorded roughly 3 million visitors to the tiny, tropical nation in 2016.

Digital content, including articles, images and audio will be produced by ICT in conjunction with CNN and new content will be rotated every month for the length of the campaign, which will go for almost a year.

The stories that are featured will be told through the eyes of social explorers who take audiences on a personal journey through Costa Rica and describe what makes it special to them. The first ad being aired is of a psychotherapist who enjoys experiencing the joyous way of life through sharing experiences with Costa Rican nationals-- the Ticos who enjoy the pura vida.

' Happiest Place on Earth'

The goal of this ICT driven initiative is to validate Costa Rica's identity as a complete travel and immersion destination where the country's model of sustainable tourism development has been progressing since the 1970s. This is what differentiates Costa Rica from the rest of the world and instills pride into the nationals and expats who live here and consider it to be the 'happiest place on earth'. Sustainability is built into the nation's infrastructure, culture and tourism offerings, and it is a way of life for the people here.

Costa Rica set another goal at the 2015 Paris Climate Change Accord to be the first carbon neutral country in the world, setting it's sights for 2021 and it has long been renowned for its incredible biodiversity, which is allowed to flourish thanks to the sustainable and eco-conscious initiatives that are growing each year, along with the number of tourists and tourism dollars.

CNN reaches 450 million homes and 178 million unique monthly users worldwide. In watching the first commercial airing now, there is no doubt that CNN and ICT have produced is not run of the mill, connecting each individual story deeply with the viewer's own experiences and desires to achieve what the host is describing.

Costa Rica is famous for its unimaginable biodiversity. This is a small, yet naturally rich nation that is home to more than 5% of the whole world's plant and animal species. And when this message gets out to the wider markets, our team will be ready with our national marketing campaign to get buyers into our stunning Costa Ballena region.

Our team of agents has been living and working in the Costa Ballena communities of Ojochal, Uvita and Dominical for a number of years and we are the experts at getting people from sold to settled in CR. Call our office for more information about how we can give your listing the expo

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________