- Four Costa Rican companies promote differentiated products for the HORECA sector at the 2026 Seoul Food and Hotel Exhibition.
- South Korea is emerging as one of Asia’s leading markets for premium, healthy, and high-quality food products.
Seoul, South KoreaJune 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Costa Rica continues to strengthen its presence in Asia and expand opportunities for its export sector in high-value markets. From June 9 to 12, four Costa Rican companies participated in Seoul Food & Hotel 2026, one of Asia’s leading trade platforms for the food industry, bringing together buyers, distributors, supermarket chains, hotels, restaurants, and food service companies from around the world.
The Costa Rican delegation included Instantia, Inalve, Natural Aloe, and Frutera La Paz, showcasing a differentiated portfolio of dehydrated pineapple and banana, frozen tropical fruits, frozen cassava products, and aloe vera extracts, primarily targeting the HORECA segment: hotels, restaurants, and catering services.
In addition to participating in the trade show, the companies held business meetings and conducted strategic visits to leading retail chains and points of sale, including Homeplus, Shinsegae, and Lotte Premium Food Market. These activities allowed them to gain first-hand insights into consumer trends, identify business opportunities, and strengthen their positioning in the South Korean market.
“Market diversification is one of our top priorities to strengthen the resilience and growth of Costa Rican exports. Asia represents an increasingly important opportunity for our companies, and South Korea stands out for its sophisticated consumers, strong purchasing power, and growing interest in differentiated foods. Participating in platforms like Seoul Food & Hotel allows us to bring Costa Rican export products closer to new buyers, create business opportunities, and continue expanding the country’s presence in strategic global markets,” said Laura López, CEO of the Costa Rican Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (PROCOMER).
South Korea has become one of Asia’s most dynamic markets for premium, healthy, and convenient foods, driven by consumers’ growing interest in quality, traceability, innovation, and product origin. This context creates new opportunities for Costa Rica’s exportable offerings, which are internationally recognized for their high quality and sustainability standards.
Costa Rica’s participation in Seoul Food & Hotel is part of a broader trade promotion agenda in South Korea this year, which includes initiatives to strengthen the market positioning of Costa Rican coffee, one of the most dynamic high-quality food and beverage destinations in Asia.