A red and white director's chair took the spotlight at Costa Rica's Take Your Seat Reception - but as Open Jaw learned first-hand, its meaning ran much deeper than a simple piece of furniture might suggest.
The event, hosted by VoX International Inc. and the Costa Rica Tourism Board on April 24 in Toronto, highlighted Costa Rica through the lens of Randy and Spencer VanDerStarren, the father-and-son creative team behind the Take Your Seat global photography initiative. Moreover, it marked the launch of the Take Your Seat Costa Rica photo display in Terminal 1 at Lester B. Pearson International Airport.
"The purpose of the event is to let people know that Costa Rica is such a beautiful place to visit, especially because it offers a moment to relax, a moment to step away from the craziness of the city and the craziness of everyday life in a place such as Toronto," Adalberto Rodriguez Fallas, Marketing Executive - Coops & Trade with the Costa Rica Tourism Board, told Open Jaw.
Twelve select photos of Costa Rica were on display for members of the Costa Rica Tourism Board, the VoX team, Open Jaw, and other travel industry partners to admire. From ethereal volcanic-sand beaches to the warmth of its people, the red chair was sometimes lurking in the background, other times proudly standing front-and-centre - but always present.
"By showcasing these pictures, we want to not only honour the art of photography, but also demonstrate how beautiful Costa Rica is and the many places you can go and relax," Rodriguez said.
The Take Your Seat project cleverly uses a red director's chair as a recurring motif in a series of photographs that span the globe. Its mission is about sending a universally understandable message about our shared humanity and planet.
“A director decides what shows up on a movie screen, and we want you to think of your life in the same way – you are the director of your life,” Randy says. “And on a deeper level, we’re all connected. We talk a lot about ‘one people’. And when we show you this chair in Costa Rica and the same chair here in Canada, hopefully there’s a connection that you have between the two countries and as human beings.”
With easy non-stop flights from across Canada, Canadians have long caught on to just how special Costa Rica is. According to figures from the Costa Rica Tourism Board, 234,621 visitors from Canada were recorded in 2019 - those numbers were surpassed in 2023, when 260,744 Canadians arrived. Rodriguez says Canadian visitors are on trend to a robust upward trajectory for 2024.
"The demand is very powerful," says Rodriguez. "It's much better than it used to be before the pandemic because Canadians love Costa Rica. Canadians love the outdoors, the adventure, and to step away from the city and just relax and enjoy themselves."
Collette's Kateryna Havrylova, Partnership Marketing Manager, is also noticing the demand to Costa Rica from Canada, and says the destination ticks all the boxes for what Canadians are looking for.
"Canadians are looking for more exotics and adventures. They're looking for very immersive experiences, and that's why Costa Rica is such a good match - because it offers all that," she tells Open Jaw, adding that you can go from touring a cocoa plantation to zip-lining in one day.
"The Trade is our Best Ally"
With so much to do and see in Costa Rica, Rodriguez calls the trade "one of the most important" enablers of bringing Canadians to the destination.
"If we educate the trade and give them the tools to sell the destination, they will have the proper means to advise their customers. We believe that educating the trade is our key component and the trade is our best ally when we're promoting the destination," he says.
Travel advisors can visit Essential Costa Rica to learn about the destination, activities, sightseeing spots, and more. But truly, experience is the best teacher, says Rodriguez.
"I honestly believe the best way to sell a destination is to visit it, and then you'll know exactly what the pura vida concept is because it's a vibe, it's something we have in our hearts," he notes.
Take Your Seat at Pearson
The Take Your Seat Costa Rica installation at Pearson's Terminal 1 features high-resolution photos capturing the essence of Costa Rica. Randy's work has taken him to more than 100 destinations and Costa Rica, he said, was one of the easiest to photograph. From the warm Ticos to striking landscapes and rich cultural sites, every corner had a pura vida moment worth capturing.
"It takes a lot to impress me," Randy tells Open Jaw. "To say what I said about the essence of pura vida and how it affected me and mean it, it shocked me. It was story after story, person after person. It was mind blowing."
According to Rodriguez, at least nine million people will set their sights on the Costa Rica installation in Terminal 1 and there’s a clear intention behind the showcase: "We want to transfer all the power and energy of Costa Rica into those travellers."
