I started designing and managing Costa Rica Vacations back in 2003. In those days Costa Rica was still an unknown frontier…an exotic and lawless place in the minds of some sheltered North Americans.

Well, flash forward a decade and now a Costa Rica vacation is about as scary to those same North Americans as a trip to Disney World.

Back in the early days people wanted their Costa Rica vacation experience planned out and handled…they didn’t want to have to worry about it. And the driving force behind that worry was its unknown and mysterious quality. This was the 3rd world (still is actually) and we grew up hearing about the dangers lurking down there. That there were Marxist revolutionary types who didn’t think too kindly of us.

That’s why the package vacation worked so well…back then.

Nowadays the perception is that the best Costa Rica vacation can be had for a bargain basement price via one of those Flight plus Hotel deals offered by a U.S. travel site behemoth like Expedia or Priceline. Throw in a rental car and off we go.

Okay I get it. Costa Rica is now in the mainstream vacation conversation. It is no longer an unknown commodity…it’s just another commoditized vacation experience…

or is it?

The basic deal hasn’t changed that much…just the perception of it.

Costa Rica is still a unique destination. There may not be any Marxist revolutionaries, but there are some other elements that make a pre-planned vacation a good idea.

I just got back from Colombia. Colombia is definitely not yet on the North American vacation radar screen (I hope to change that). Even though it’s a spectacular place to visit…full of a lot of the same tropical wonder that draws so many to Costa Rica.

But there’s one huge difference…accessibility.

Colombia is huge. Costa Rica is tiny. Costa Rica is a lot like a vastly reduced in size Colombia. It is possible in Costa Rica to see a good many of the things worth seeing across the entire country in just one week to week and a half long visit. Hell you could even visit both coasts. Can’t do that in Colombia…not even close.

But you have to move around. Your best Costa Rica vacation experience will need to take in maybe three to four different destinations within the country. Which means arranging a vacation that encompasses several different hotels in diverse areas, transportation to those areas and activities that give you the best experience of those areas.

And that’s why Costa Rica is not readily susceptible to commodization. A one size fits all vacation deal just doesn’t work here.

I fully realize that as soon as demand reaches a certain threshold every marketable good or service is subject to commoditization pressure. And Costa Rica is no exception.

So, to answer my question…has Costa Rica become commoditized?

No not yet and we must resist that happening…as much as “we” can…

Because Costa Rica is too damn special a place to become just another bland cookie cutter escape from the North American rat race.

image credit: FARC Imagenes via Compfight cc

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