Costa Rica Crowned
Costa Rica was named 'Best Nature Destination' at the inaugural Forbes Travel Awards 2026, reinforcing its booking appeal for biodiversity‑driven adventure and eco‑tourism. The accolade plugs into Costa Rica’s 'Pura Vida' branding and rising international interest. (ticotimes.net)
The Forbes Travel Awards ceremony took place on March 17 at the Forbes House in Madrid and was attended by industry leaders including Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism Jordi Hereu. (forbes.es) Costa Rica’s accolade was accepted in Madrid by Guisella Sánchez‑Castillo, a representative of the Costa Rican Embassy in Spain, and the trophy was presented at the event by Minister Jordi Hereu. (amcostarica.com) The Tourism Institute (ICT) and local reporting highlighted national figures cited during the award: Costa Rica hosts about 30 national parks, nine biological reserves and 51 protected areas, and the country generates more than 98% of its electricity from renewable sources, figures referenced by Forbes’ coverage shared at the gala. (amcostarica.com) Costa Rican authorities pointed to measurable demand growth in Europe as context for the win, reporting 103,902 European visitors in January–February 2026, a 9% increase year‑on‑year. (elguardian.cr) Forbes España framed the new Travel Awards as an editorial initiative launched in Madrid with multiple category winners at the same gala, where other honorees included Chile (international destination), Austria (cultural destination) and Madrid (business destination). (forbes.es) Tourism Minister William Rodríguez said the recognition reinforces Costa Rica’s sustainable‑tourism model and will be used in international promotion efforts, comments published by national media and quoted by the ICT after the awards. (amcostarica.com)
