Discovery Costa Rica theme park will boost tourism

Airlines can expect to create more flights to Liberia, Costa Rica, while local tourism and hospitality businesses can likewise expect to benefit, from the opening in 2020 of a 900 hectare (2000-acre) ecological theme park, announced last week.

Discovery Costa Rica, located in the northern Pacific province of Guanacaste,  will operate under a license from Discovery Communications Inc., with an initial investment of $400 million, mainly from Sun Latin America, a division of Wirthlin Dentons.

Discovery Costa Rica, which has received environmental and construction approval, will have a water park, along with Discovery-branded hotels and restaurants adjacent to Liberia Airport.

Rock climbing, hiking, scuba and other activites be offered in four additional locations, including beaches, parks and volcanoes.

Licensing is a way for Discovery Communications to increase income at a time when TV advertising and cable subscriber fees are growing slowly.

The company has licensed its name to an adventure park in Moganshan, China, that opened last year, and has a partnership with Princess Cruises for watersports and other activities tied to TV shows like “Deadliest Catch” and “Shark Week.”

Licensing arrangements last year contributed around $300 million of Discovery’s revenue of $6.5 billion.

Discovery Communications, a United States-based mass media and entertainment company, produces original television programming and acquires content from producers worldwide.

The company's lifestyle, sports and children’s programming, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, and the Oprah Winfrey Network, is offered through pay-TV and broadcast networks.