SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA— Recent developments in the Costa Rican tourism infrastructure and the growing interest in adventure and nature oriented activities have spurred Spur Incentives, a Costa Rican destination management company (DMC) to open an office in the U.S. Spur Incentives is an alliance between Rico Tours of Austin, Texas, and Travel Excellence SA here, under which the two companies will integrate marketing, sales and operations. According to Carolina Trejos, director/promotions with the Costa Rican Tourist Board, “This is a good example of the evolution of tourism in Costa Rica, which continues to gain popularity.” “We have been working as a cross-border team for over six years and have developed a great staff in both countries. The office staff in Austin has extensive experience in Costa Rica and also the ability to better understand client requirements as they design programs,” said Modesto Blanco, general manager for Spur Incentives Costa Rica operation. Leigh Ann Cloutier is serving as general manager of Spur Incentives North America.