FORT LAUDERDALE, November 24—The Costa Rica Tourist Board has named the Florida office of Porter Novelli International as agency of record for its multi-disciplined campaign to encourage U.S. travelers to visit Costa Rica. The ICT has a long-standing relationship with Centroamerica Porter Novelli’s office in Costa Rica. The account was previously managed by Pantin/JGR PR, a unit of Beber Silverstein.
 
According to Alejandro Hernandez, general manager of Porter Novelli Florida, “One of the points we intend to communicate to travelers is the proximity of Costa Rica—it takes less time to fly to San Jose, Costa Rica from Atlanta or Miami than it does to fly to San Jose, California. We also plan to help the ICT enhance its communications with key travel industry partners in the U.S.”
 
The Porter Novelli team, located in Fort Lauderdale, will develop and implement a multi-faceted communications program to reflect the rich biodiversity, friendly culture and tranquil setting of Costa Rica, which already draws more than one million visitors from the U.S. each year. The campaign will include U.S. media relations, focusing on key travel influencers as well as communications with travel trade and consumer magazines, and strategic counsel on areas ranging from interactive campaigns to industry relations efforts.