by Rod Hughes

Costa Rica was saddened this week by news that tourism pioneer Andy Gingold had died of renal cancer last Sunday at his Ciudad Colon home at age 60. During his 33 years in this country, he and wife Avie established several companies that, in various ways, acted to promote Costa Rica as a tourism destination.

After a successful career in England as a clothing designer, Gingold came to this country and established a small factory of boutique wood products. But he was best known for the horseback riding tour Finca Ob-la-di Ob-la-da, a contemporary of other early tourism companies such as Calypso Cruises and Rios Tropicales, companies that placed Costa Rica high on the list of must-see destinations when few North Americans were certain where this country was located.

The tour was discontinued in 1990 but by that time the Gingolds had other projects going: Bandana Republic (sports wear and bandannas depicting Costa Rican wildlife) and a bilingual children’s coloring book promoting the country. At the time of his death, Gingold was managing a distribution firm for local crafts, begun at a time when local artisans were nearly swamped by cheap imports from countries ranging from Guatemala to Singapour. (More details will be available in The Tico Times this Friday.)

His remains will be cremated. An open house is planned in his honor for later.