Costa Rica to Push Tourism, Exports at World Cup
The government of Costa Rica published plans on Thursday to promote its tourism and exports in Germany alongside the 2006 soccer World Cup, using a 500 square meters Costa Rica Arena in Munich's Am Deutschen Museum, among other venues.

Costa Rica and Germany will play the World Cup's first game on June 9 in Munich.

Martin Zuniga, the head of Costa Rica's Procomer trade promotion board said that the Munich museum was among the country's most visited tourist spots.

The visitors, who enter the museum via a natural tunnel in a wood, will pass through a themed space called "Costa Rica, Heart of the Americas", which will contain a photo exhibition on tourism and biodiversity, and run from May 24 to June 11.

It will also show off Costa Rica's main exports, and its achievements in sport, culture and tourism, he said. There will also be a space for people to enjoy Costa Rican products like coffee.

"It is also lucky that our national team will play the host," said Jorge Zamora, the marketing manager of Procomer, adding that he would do all he could to boost marketing in the inaugural game.

Costa Rica has a net export surplus with Germany: it exported us$188.2 million dollars in 2005 and imported us$157.2 million. Germany is Costa Rica's 10th largest trading partner and number two in Europe.

Germany exports to Costa Rica include vehicles, insecticides, medicine and medical equipment. It imports bananas, coffee, and amplifiers.