Costa Rica’s official nation brand, esencial Costa Rica, and export promotion agency Procomer have abruptly withdrawn a tourism marketing partnership with Uber only a day after unveiling it, following heavy criticism from the country’s regulated tourism transport sector.
According to local media outlet The Tico Times, the agreement had positioned Uber as a tourism partner platform for visitors traveling around Costa Rica. The initiative aimed to integrate tourism content into Uber’s app, including links to the Camino a Costa Rica platform, while also promoting destinations across North and Latin America through digital campaigns, creators, and online communications.
Uber said more than 1.6 million international travelers from over 130 countries have used the app in Costa Rica since launching operations in the country.
However, by Tuesday evening, the partnership had already been canceled.
Procomer and esencial Costa Rica clarified that the agreement was limited to promotional messaging and destination visibility within the Uber app, insisting it was not an endorsement of Uber’s operations or a licensing deal involving the national brand. Still, both organizations confirmed they decided to end the campaign after objections from tourism transportation operators.
According to the Tico Times, the backlash came from the Costa Rican Tourism Transporters Association (Asotranstur), which filed an urgent complaint with the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT). The association argued that linking Uber with Costa Rica’s official tourism branding undermined legally registered transport businesses that comply with extensive national regulations.
Asotranstur noted that licensed operators are required to pay taxes, municipal permits, social security contributions, insurance costs, technical inspections, ICT certifications, and Public Transport Council authorizations. The group questioned why a company still facing legal and regulatory disputes in Costa Rica would receive visibility tied to the country’s tourism image.
Uber status in Costa-Rica in limbo
The controversy revives a long-running debate over Uber’s status in Costa Rica. Since entering the market in 2015, the ride-hailing giant has operated in a legal gray area. Shortly after launch, the Public Transport Council declared the service illegal, arguing Uber lacked authorization to provide paid passenger transportation. Uber has consistently maintained it functions as a technology platform rather than a transportation provider.
That unresolved dispute made the tourism partnership politically delicate from the outset.
Uber criticized the decision to terminate the partnership, saying the campaign was intended to help travelers better discover Costa Rica. The company also suggested that other transport sectors, including taxi operators, could potentially participate in similar digital tourism initiatives.
The short-lived alliance also highlights a wider challenge for Costa Rica’s tourism sector. The country is eager to market itself through the digital platforms travelers already use, but any official association with Uber quickly collides with unresolved regulatory tensions.
For now, esencial Costa Rica and Procomer have stepped away from the campaign, signaling they do not want the nation’s tourism brand perceived as favoring Uber while traditional operators remain tightly regulated.
