Guanacaste Continues To Be Favorite
Destination For Mid-Year Vacations
(InfoWebPress) – The mid-year vacation
period has already started, and tourism
businesses from all over the country are
preparing to attract the highest number
possible of visitors through special
packages and promotions — as tourists in the
current economic situation not only seek
quality service but also saving money.
According to the National Chamber of Tourism
(CANATUR), this vacation season is expected
to help beach and mountain hotels increase
their reservation and occupancy levels.
Studies conducted by this business group in
the past have shown that the most visited
regions during this time of the year are
Jaco, northern Guanacaste, Puntarenas, La
Fortuna and Monteverde.
Regarding the places where foreign tourists
visiting Costa Rica in July come from,
average data from the past three years
indicate that 42.37 are from the United
States, 27.34 from Central America, 15.88
percent from various European countries, and
5.27 percent from South America.
Part of the country’s strategy to attract
new tourists is the international campaign
“Costa Rica Plus,” promoted by the Costa
Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and CANATUR
and directed toward U.S. tourists. The
campaign seeks to boost reservations in the
short term, beginning in June, by offering
value-added deals.
The ICT’s main website is featuring
attractive coupons that the traveler can
later present at some 100 hotels, tourist
attractions, vehicle rental companies and
others participating in this campaign to
enjoy discounts. These benefits will be
offered regardless how the reservation was
made, whether directly or through a travel
agent, or even wholesalers who offer travel
deals.
“For CANATUR, it is very important to
promote tourism throughout the entire year,
and during the high season we need to double
up our efforts, so promotions and deals by
businesses seek to reactivate the tourism
industry and increase the visitation of both
Ticos and foreigners, giving them the chance
to have fund and get to know different parts
of the country without affecting their
pocketbook and family budget,” said Gonzalo
Vargas, president of CANATUR.
Meanwhile, safety checks to control drunk
driving, high speeds and overload of
vehicles on the roads were intensified
starting July 4 and will go on until Sunday,
July 19 — when the mid-year school break
ends.
All in all, 800 transit police officers will
be patrolling the country’s main highways
leaving the Central Valley toward tourism
destinations, both mountains and beaches, on
the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
As experience has shown, 10 national routes
will be particularly patrolled during this
time of year, due to the increase traffic
levels they experience. Among them are the
highways to the Nicaragua and Panama
borders, the section between Manolo’s Bridge
(San Jose) and Orotina, Liberia-Nicoya, and
San Jose-Limon, as well as the Rio Frio
intersection leading toward Puerto Viejo de
Sarapiqui. |
