Reduction in Tourism
Being Felt in Guanacaste
and Puntarenas
The constant increase in
gasoline prices, the
economic problems of the
United States and the
reduction of the number
of flights to Costa
Rica, are the main
factors affecting the
decrease in tourism in
Guanacaste and
Puntarenas.
According to the
president of the Cámara
Nacional de Turismo (Canatur),
Gonzalo Vargas, the
tourism sector -
especially in the
provinces of Guanacaste
and Puntarenas - is
starting to feel the
pinch due to the low
growth in tourism in the
area.
Figures released by
Canatur show that in the
accumulated growth in
tourism in April 2008
for the entire country
was 15%, while dropping
to 13% in June and 12.2%
in July.
Guanacaste, the province
with an excellent
tourism record is
showing a slowdown in
the number of tourists
visitng. For the second
consecutive month, the
number of tourists
dropped 3.3% in June and
1.9% in July, according
to a Canatur study.
Álvaro Conejo, president
of the Cámara de Turismo
de Guanacaste (Caturgua)
- Guanacaste Chamber of
Tourism - said that the
decrease has had an
effect on small hotel
and tour operators and
car rentals.
Conejo added that the
drop has also been felt
in many Pacific coast
areas served by the
Daniel Oduber Quirós
international airport in
Liberia.
"We consider urgent the
construction of the
addition of the
airport", said Conejo.
According to projections
by Caturgua, some
500.000 tourists are
expected to use the
airport by 2010.
To offset the decrease
in tourism many
operators are having to
become more aggressive
to maintain a business
level, others searching
out alliances with other
operators.
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