Costa Rica: Relaxed — Social Lateness Is Expected.
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Relaxed — Social Lateness Is Expected. "Tico time" is a real, locally acknowledged concept — social plans have genuine flexibility, and lateness is rarely remarked on.
Costa Rica: Relaxed — Social Lateness Is Expected. "Tico time" is a real, locally acknowledged concept — social plans have genuine flexibility, and lateness is rarely remarked on.
In Costa Rica, being 15-30 minutes late to informal social plans is common and not considered rude — though business meetings still expect closer-to-on-time arrival.
No — professional meetings run more punctually than social gatherings almost everywhere in the world, regardless of a country's general reputation. Default to arriving on time or a few minutes early for anything business-related.
This reflects general social norms, not business-context rules — professional meetings tend to run more punctually than social gatherings almost everywhere, regardless of a country's overall reputation. When in doubt, showing up on time is never the wrong call.