Comments on: First half of the year showed positive growth in tourist arrivals

By: Michael Clarkson

Michael Clarkson — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 18:16:00 +0000

Good point Larry, not only Ticos enjoy dual citizenship but others from Central America and all over Latin America.

By: Larry Worsham

Larry Worsham — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 18:07:00 +0000

They will certainly use their ‘other’ passports if they have children in Costa Rica and owe back money for child support. I personally know three who do this. They all had children when still in High School (Colegio) like idiots and because one of them was the child of an American has to pay a fortune monthly. I don’t necessarily agree with this as they got themselves in the mess, just making a note of it.

By: Karen Mata

Karen Mata — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 16:09:00 +0000

I liked the old airport better. A couple of runways with a glorified shack next to them.

A robust tourist based economy is what they once had, and they want us to believe that they still do.
The only problem is all other metrics indicate a cratering economy teetering on the edge of insolvency. Not exactly confirming their wonderful numbers.

By: El Torito

El Torito — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:58:00 +0000

For a piece about arrivals, why are you showing a picture of the departure terminal?

By: Karen Mata

Karen Mata — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Totally agree. Spent time in Coco when closing on my condo a while back, and it’s a ghost town. Check Palm Real Estate. Half the properties in that town are on the market.
JS airport. Ditto.

By: SDPUS

SDPUS — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 00:34:00 +0000

Except for July, the overall numbers are slightly up as far as vacation rentals go in Tamarindo. World Cup most likely impacted July #’s. Liberia Airport is mostly used by tourists. Amazingly, I think the data is accurate.

By: Michael Clarkson

Michael Clarkson — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 00:11:00 +0000

Good point Ken however the Colombians do come by air mostly unless they fly into Panama but for any real math to work the person who i doing the counting has to be competent and honest.

By: Timothy Williams

Timothy Williams — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 23:08:00 +0000

I agree with you, Ken. In fact, those exclusions were not made for the first 6 months of 2013 until after the fact (this year’s study) and the numbers are still up.

Likewise, even if the numbers (surely) are skewed by “perpetual tourists” you can be assured that neighboring Panama and Nicaragua both count those border hoppers as part of their *own* tourist arrivals, so at least in the “tri-country area” the numbers, imperfect as they may be, are relevant.

By: Ken Morris

Ken Morris — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 23:04:00 +0000

Note that there was a 7.6% increase in arrivals by air and that those with temporary work permits were excluded. Surely not a single Nica was counted. This is the most honest reporting of tourist arrivals I’ve ever seen and it looks like the numbers really are up.

By: mhogan

mhogan — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 21:32:00 +0000

You wouldn’t know these statements to be fact by the scant people waiting in the “visitors” Immigration line at the airport. Years ago, it was LONG, but now, it’s in and out. I’ve come in and out as a resident on a monthly basis for the last year, at various days of the week and various times of day and the resident/nationals line was far longer. Now that I’m no longer a resident of CR, I’ll probably get through Immigration even faster. Then again, they’ll probably be confused by the passport stamps that stated I was a resident. I wouldn’t go back at all but still have to because of business and property closings. So I suppose my return visits as a non-resident will be counted as part of the “positive growth” in tourism.