Technology

Costa Rica: First country in the world to use artificial intelligence to create its Nation Brand strategy

Published

2 years ago

October 29, 2024

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ten years after the launch of essential COSTA RICA, this Nation Brand took the initiative to define its strategy for the next decade, by applying one of its values, innovation, becoming the first nation brand in the world to use artificial intelligence to define its 2035 vision.

Together with Bloom Consulting, an international firm specializing in Nation Branding, essential COSTA RICA used four blocks of information to develop the 2035 Strategy: a) previous studies on the perception of Nation Brand as a digital identity and rankings; b) strategic documents about Costa Rica, such as decarbonization plans; c) global reports on future trends, e.g. Sitra Megatrends 2023, OECD Economic Outlook, Global Trends 2030 and more than 10 additional reports; d) as well as interviews with national stakeholders from various public and private sectors to get to know their perception of the country today and how they perceive Costa Rica in 10 years.

In order to become the first country globally to use AI in the development of a strategy, essential COSTA RICA and Bloom Consulting entered the three first blocks of information into an artificial intelligence platform to be processed and analyzed in depth. This technology not only made it possible to identify and evaluate the current perceptions about Costa Rica, but it also provided key insights about emerging trends and the general sentiment associated with the country in international media.

The system also generated projections about possible future media coverage, helping to anticipate areas of opportunity to enhance the image and presence of Costa Rica in strategic global markets, as well as to make more informed decisions, enabling communication strategies to be adjusted to maximize the positive impact on the international audience.

This was followed by a working session with stakeholders and the institutions that make up the governance of the Nation Brand, which defined the priority projects that would receive the most media coverage according to the elements of the Taxonomy Model of perceptions of the Nation Brand and the AI analysis, and which resulted in this theme as the focus of Costa Rica’s strategy: climate change and environmental preservation.

“One of the five values of essential COSTA RICA is innovation; we are therefore looking to use it for creating the 2035 Strategy by applying AI and we are very satisfied with the results. This roadmap will lead us to establish the positioning of Costa Rica as the world leader in sustainability and the fight against climate change,” affirmed Adriana Acosta, Director of essential COSTA RICA.

The application of AI represented advantages in the development of this Strategy, some of which were:

Efficiency: by allowing large amounts of data to be processed from various sources, which ensured a complete analysis.Depth of perspective: AI enabled the detection of subtle patterns and correlations within the data, providing deeper insights into the dynamics of perceptions.Forward-looking analysis: through AI, future trends were analyzed, making it possible to model scenarios based on multiple variables, with an informed and complete vision.Predictive models: which made it possible to model future behavior based on global trends, obtaining more accurate predictions about future media trends.

“The fact that Costa Rica is the first country to develop the Nation Brand Strategy using artificial intelligence demonstrates how advanced it is and how it is leading the way in nation branding,” added José Felipe Torres, Nation and Place Branding Global Director at Bloom Consulting.

The 2035 Strategy of essential COSTA RICA was launched at the end of 2023 with the objective of creating powerful messages focused on climate change and sustainability through the Natural Intelligence concept. To date, the Costa Rican Nation Brand has been implementing actions to strengthen Costa Rica’s image as an articulator of innovation and knowledge on climate change and environmental preservation in various national and international forums.

It also works together with the Costa Rican private sector in a series of workshops to introduce sustainability and the fight against climate change in companies, while aligning the Nation Brand licensing program to this new narrative. In addition, digital campaigns and various training sessions are being carried out for local talent, especially young people, on the topics of the Strategy.

“Costa Rica is already well positioned in climate change and environmental preservation, which is why with Strategy 2035 – and thanks to the future scenarios analyzed with the help of AI – we are working to capitalize on what the country has built over decades with specific actions that help enhance its international image and promote the implementation of tactics that reinforce Costa Rica’s leadership in these topics,” ended Adriana Acosta.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2542261/Essential_COSTA_RICA.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/costa-rica-first-country-in-the-world-to-use-artificial-intelligence-to-create-its-nation-brand-strategy-302290648.html

Technology

Peninsula Visa Launches Comprehensive OCI Processing Services

Published

2 hours ago

May 3, 2026

Peninsula Visa, a trusted leader in immigration and visa processing services with over 50 years of expertise, today announced the launch of its comprehensive Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) processing services. To celebrate this milestone, Peninsula Visa is offering new users an exclusive 20% discount with promo code OCI20 at checkout.

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 3, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Peninsula Visa, a trusted leader in immigration and visa processing services with over 50 years of expertise, today announced the launch of its comprehensive Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) processing services. To celebrate this milestone, Peninsula Visa is offering new users an exclusive 20% discount with promo code OCI20 at checkout.

For 50 years, Peninsula Visa has helped families navigate immigration. OCI processing is one of our most impactful services, connecting the Indian diaspora to their heritage. We’re proud to bring our expertise to help families secure OCI status with confidence. Evan James, CEO

A Full Suite of OCI Services

Peninsula Visa’s OCI services cover every stage of the OCI lifecycle, ensuring that members of the Indian diaspora receive expert support from start to finish.

The four service types now available are:

New OCI Application — For foreign nationals of Indian origin, spouses of Indian citizens or existing OCI card holders, and minor children with at least one Indian parent applying for OCI status for the first time.OCI Card Renewal — For card holders whose OCI card has expired, or whose linked passport has been renewed or replaced and requires an updated booklet.Re-issuance (Age Milestones) — OCI cards must be re-issued when minors reach the age of 18 and again when card holders turn 50, due to significant changes in appearance. Peninsula Visa guides clients through both transitions seamlessly.Miscellaneous OCI Services — Covering corrections to existing records, lost or damaged card replacement, address changes, and other administrative updates to the OCI file.

Why Choose Peninsula Visa for Your OCI Application

Peninsula Visa brings decades of institutional knowledge and a client-first philosophy to every OCI case.

Key value propositions include:

Expert Guidance — Dedicated OCI specialists with deep knowledge of consulate requirements, eligibility rules, and documentation standards across all service types.High Approval Rate — A meticulous multi-stage review process that identifies and resolves issues before submission, dramatically reducing the likelihood of rejection or delay.Fast Turnaround — Standard processing in 12-15 Business Days for most OCI service types, with real-time status updates throughout the process.End-to-End Support — Personalized document checklists, secure document uploads, expert form preparation, consulate submission, and post-submission tracking — all in one place.

Launch Promotion

Save 20% on any OCI service — new users only

OCI20

Enter code OCI20 at checkout. Available to new users. No expiration date.

Leadership Perspective

“For 50 years, Peninsula Visa has helped individuals and families navigate the complexities of immigration documentation. OCI processing is one of the most impactful services we have ever added — it directly connects the Indian diaspora to their heritage country in a lasting, meaningful way. We are proud to bring our proven expertise and client-centric approach to this important service, and we look forward to helping thousands of families secure their OCI status with confidence.”

Founded in 1975, Peninsula Visa has built its reputation on precision, transparency, and a genuine commitment to client outcomes. The addition of OCI processing services reflects the company’s ongoing mission to expand its offerings to meet the evolving needs of immigrants and their families across the United States.

Get Started Today

Eligible applicants can begin their OCI journey by visiting Peninsula Visa’s dedicated OCI Services page. New users can take advantage of the 20% launch discount by entering promo code OCI20 at checkout when selecting any OCI service type.

Media Contact

Evan James, Peninsula Visa, 1 4087277515, media@peninsulavisa.com, https://peninsulavisa.com/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/peninsula-visa-launches-comprehensive-oci-processing-services-302760544.html

SOURCE Peninsula Visa

Technology

Peninsula Visa Launches Comprehensive OCI Processing Services

Published

2 hours ago

May 3, 2026

A Full Suite of OCI Services

Peninsula Visa’s OCI services cover every stage of the OCI lifecycle, ensuring that members of the Indian diaspora receive expert support from start to finish.

The four service types now available are:

Why Choose Peninsula Visa for Your OCI Application

Peninsula Visa brings decades of institutional knowledge and a client-first philosophy to every OCI case.

Key value propositions include:

Launch Promotion

Save 20% on any OCI service — new users only

OCI20

Enter code OCI20 at checkout. Available to new users. No expiration date.

Leadership Perspective

Get Started Today

Media Contact

Evan James, Peninsula Visa, 1 4087277515, media@peninsulavisa.com, https://peninsulavisa.com/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/peninsula-visa-launches-comprehensive-oci-processing-services-302760544.html

SOURCE Peninsula Visa

Technology

Booking.com’s Latest Travel and Sustainability Research Reveals Australian Generational Paradox

Published

3 hours ago

May 3, 2026

SYDNEY, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today Booking.com released its 11th annual research report into consumer attitudes and understanding of the social and environmental impact of travel. With insights from 32,500 travellers across 35 markets globally, including 1,000 from Australia, this year’s research highlights a generational paradox.

While 83% of Australian travellers say that more sustainable travel is important to them, older generations demonstrate greater commitment through concrete actions, despite younger generations often expressing stronger sustainability intentions.

Older generations demonstrate greater commitment through concrete sustainable actions, with almost two–thirds of Boomers across Asia Pacific (63%) saying they will shop more at local, independent stores on their trips, three–quarters (75%) planning to reduce general waste, and 63% intending to reduce energy consumption, higher than Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z.However, younger travellers are leading in cultural and conservation management; more than a quarter of Gen Z (27%) and Millennials (26%) participated in a tour or activity that contributed to the health or conservation of the local ecosystem or wildlife.Extreme weather is actively reshaping travel choices. Nearly three-quarters of Australian travellers said they consider extreme weather risk when choosing both destination (72%), and timing (75%), and 27% reported having cancelled or changed trip plans in the past twelve months due to extreme weather or natural disaster.Australian travellers are shifting when and where they travel, seeking reliable climates and comfort. 43% say they plan to avoid overcrowded tourist destinations, 42% plan to travel outside of peak season, and 26% will seek out destinations with cooler temperatures.In 2025, travellers booked more than 100 million room nights on Booking.com at accommodation partners with a third-party sustainability certification, including at 363 third-party certified Australian properties.

To find Booking.com’s full 2026 research, visit here.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/bookingcoms-latest-travel-and-sustainability-research-reveals-australian-generational-paradox-302760310.html

SOURCE Booking.com