True to its national motto, Pura Vida or ‘simple life’, Costa Rica’s Happy Planet Index (HPI) indicates that it is listed among the happiest and sustainable countries in the world!

If you’d love to learn the authentic Costa Rican way of living in a meaningful manner, do yourself a favor and get an international internship in Costa Rica..!

An internship in Costa Rica is guaranteed to give you a complete cultural immersion and bring out the best in your professional (and personal) life. Contrary to popular beliefs, there are a lot more to offer than environmental and sustainable industry in Costa Rica!

Here are Costa Rica's top industries to intern in!

Ecotourism Industry

As suggested in its name, Costa Rica is wealthy in natural resources! Currently, this 51,179km2 Latin American country contributes to 6% of global biodiversity production after a massive nation-wide environmental reform two decades ago. Their revitalized natural ecosystem draws in more than 1.7 million tourists each year to the country’s existing 28 natural parks, 58 wildlife shelters and 32 protected areas.

In the present, the ecotourism industry in Costa Rica covers 8.2 percent of the country’s GDP and is responsible for the employment of one tenth of the total population. The Costa Rican government is already planning to build a green city to reach its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We suppose you could say that the grass is greener for the future of ecotourism industry of Costa Rica!

Agriculture Industry

With over 60 volcanoes in-land, Costa Rica has more than enough soil fertility to sustain its agricultural crops. Together with healthy annual rainfall and warm climate, the country creates the most ideal environment for agricultural plantation and agro-processing of its locally grown bananas, pineapples, coffee beans, rice, and other tropical fruits.

Despite contributing to almost 7 per cent of the country’s total GDP, Costa Rica’s agricultural sector is extremely prone to natural and man-made disasters.

This prompted the local government to begin to support this thriving industry by instructing state-owned banks to inject subsidies on agricultural tools and equipment and offer financial aid to help the industry cover up any additional expenditures on irrigation systems and road buildings from the year 2019 onwards.

(Source: Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash)

Manufacturing Industry

Costa Rica however is not merely prospering in its primary sector. The country’s secondary sector, including the production of electronic components, medical devices, computer parts, and other pharmaceutical products, is contributing to an expansion of 13% of the total GDP.

With the local government ambitious plan to transition to urban green economy, most of the country’s manufacturing industry that located the capital city (San Jose) and few others scattered in Alajuela, Cartago, and Heredia, will most likely be relocating in the country’s designated free zones or zonas francas. Regardless, Costa Rica is so fully-equipped with some of the best human and natural resources to carry its manufacturing industry forward in the future!

International Trade Industry

Over the past 25 years, Costa Rica has been seeing gradual growth in their economic development. Sandwiched between North and South America, Costa Rica’s geographical location makes trade between the west and east coasts (the USA, the Netherlands, Belgium, Guatemala, Panama, etc.) feasible.

The country’s exports of medical supplies, agricultural produces, and electrical goods amounted to a total of $12,088 million, after bouncing back with a 7.6 percent increase in GDP in 2021. Supported by free-trade agreements with 42 of their trade partners, this Costa Rican industry will most likely be expecting continuous growth in the years to come.

Real Estate Industry

Over the past twenty years or so, the flourishing Costa Rican tourism industry has brought the property appreciation rate up to between 8 and 13 percent yearly. Today, Costa Rica’s real estate market is growing at a rapid rate in coastal areas— despite the high inflation rate.

Foreign investors, US retirees in particular, are flowing into the ever-popular Guanacaste, Jaco, and Dominical thanks to the national equal property ownerships for local and non-native alike.

Considering the continuous and long-lived popularity of eco-friendly trends, the biodiverse and rapidly developing Costa Rica is most definitely going to continue to attract large number of international tourists. The future of this Costa Rican industry therefore is looking upward!

There you have it… top industries to do an internship in Costa Rica!

With that many fascinating industries to consider, you may find yourself overwhelmed by Costa Rica's internship options. Perhaps you are trying to get a grasp of the situation. Or worrying over the entire process of getting your hands on internships!

Rest assured. We are here to help! AIP’s services are designed to ensure that you have the most rewarding and enjoyable internship in Costa Rica!

AIP is an international internship provider that connects talented individuals (you!) with SMEs, multinational organizations, and NGOs, to help prepare your tailored internship in your preferred field of interest!

Interested to learn more about AIP Costa Rica internship packages? Feel free to visit us on our website here, or follow us on our social media.

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