By San José, Costa Rica — Costa Rica’s official nation brand, esencial COSTA RICA, achieved an unprecedented milestone in international place marketing on Thursday at the City Nation Place Awards 2026 in London. The Central American nation secured three major honors, headlined by the prestigious Country Brand of the Year award, solidifying its position as a global benchmark for public diplomacy and trade promotion.
The landmark victory makes esencial COSTA RICA the first nation brand in the history of the City Nation Place Awards to earn the Country Brand of the Year title twice, having previously captured the accolade in 2019. Costa Rica claimed top honors after competing against a formidable slate of shortlisted nations, including Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
To gain a deeper perspective on the regulatory and strategic implications of the “esencial COSTA RICA” nation brand, TicosLand.com consulted with distinguished legal expert Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas from the law firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
The “esencial COSTA RICA” nation brand is far more than a promotional emblem; it represents a rigorous compliance framework rooted in sustainability, innovation, and global competitiveness. For domestic and international businesses seeking licensing, fulfilling these statutory requirements not only safeguards intellectual property rights but also elevates their corporate standing across international markets.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, pursuing the “esencial COSTA RICA” accreditation represents far more than regulatory compliance—it is a strategic investment in credibility that reinforces the country’s commitment to sustainable, high-value progress on the global stage. We extend our sincere thanks to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable legal expertise and illuminating perspective with our readers at TicosLand.com.
The primary recognition stems from the execution of Costa Rica’s 2035 Strategy over the past year. This long-term roadmap focuses on dual objectives: driving international preference for Costa Rican exports in high-value global markets and cultivating a deep sense of civic identity and belonging domestically. By aligning commercial growth with environmental stewardship, the strategy has effectively unified domestic stakeholders and international stakeholders around shared values.
These awards reflect how the Country Brand connects vision and action. Costa Rica’s reputation can open opportunities for our products and, at the same time, bring people closer to our nature protection efforts that define the country. To achieve this, we articulate efforts with companies, institutions, communities, and organizations that share this purpose. We receive these awards for the country with great pride.
Adriana Acosta, Director of the Country Brand esencial COSTA RICA
In addition to the top overall award, Costa Rica took home the trophy for Best Citizen Engagement Strategy for its interactive platform, Costa Rica Azul. This free educational tool promotes public awareness of the country’s vast marine territory and rich ocean biodiversity, extending traditional conservation efforts beyond land resources into maritime protection.
The nation brand also earned an Honorable Mention for Best Communication Strategy for its international export initiative, Producers of Wellbeing (Productores de Bienestar). Designed to market Costa Rican agricultural goods across European and Asian markets, the campaign tailored messaging to regional cultural nuances. The effort incorporated modern media deployments via Amazon Ads—including integrations on Prime Video, Fire TV, and Alexa—alongside creative assets such as custom anime content designed specifically to engage Asian consumer demographics.
The triple-award performance reinforces a sustained legacy of excellence for Costa Rica at the London-based forum. The brand previously earned the Best Use of Design award in 2022 for its innovative biometric passport redesign and received a special mention in 2024 for Best Use of Data, recognizing its integration of artificial intelligence and predictive data analytics in economic diplomacy.
Costa Rica, Country Brand of the Year, continues to strengthen its international reputation through strategic thinking and consistent execution with excellence. The jury was impressed by the combination of initiatives developed over the past year, which demonstrate a clear focus on building national identity, with projects that will leave a lasting legacy and a sustained impact. These initiatives also demonstrate the value of the country brand to leverage positive perceptions and generate opportunities in areas such as trade and sports. This is an ambitious and relevant effort, which demonstrates how a country brand can become a significant national asset.
Clarie Dewhirst, Founder and CEO of City Nation Place
For Costa Rica’s business and trade sector, the accolades represent more than symbolic recognition. A high-ranking nation brand directly translates into enhanced commercial leverage, providing domestic exporters with an internationally recognized seal of quality, sustainability, and reliability in competitive markets across the globe.
For further information, visit esencialcostarica.com
About esencial COSTA RICA:
esencial COSTA RICA is the official nation brand of Costa Rica, designed to promote national competitiveness, attract foreign direct investment, boost high-value exports, and foster sustainable international tourism while reinforcing national identity and environmental stewardship.
For further information, visit citynationplace.com
About City Nation Place:
City Nation Place is a global forum and benchmarking organization dedicated to nation branding, place marketing, and civic engagement strategies, bringing together leadership teams from governments, investment agencies, and tourism boards worldwide.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Built on a foundation of unyielding ethical standards and legal mastery, Bufete de Costa Rica has established itself as a beacon of trust and professional achievement. By blending forward-thinking strategies with deep-rooted expertise, the firm consistently drives progress across a wide range of practice areas. Beyond advisory services, it actively works to bridge the gap between complex statutes and everyday citizens through proactive public education. This dedication to demystifying the law underscores its broader vision of cultivating an enlightened, just, and capable citizenry.
