Liberia Airport The "Golden Door"
The tourism sector in Guanacaste is predicting that there will be an increase of between 10 and 15% more tourists coming into the Daniel Oduber international airport in Liberia, during this low season.

Tour operators in the region say they expect an increased number of flights into the airport.

During the period of April to November 2006, some 100.000 tourists arrived at the Liberia airport, increasing almost 20% during the month of December and last month (the high season) over the same period in 2005-2006.

The aiport registered 86.800 tourists in the period between December 2006 and March 2007, while the previous year the number of tourists was 71.900.

Mauricio Céspedes, director of the Cámara de Turismo Guanacasteca (Caturgua) - Guanacaste tourism board - said "there is optimism in the numbers increasing as the North American vacation season is getting underway".

Another reason for the increased number of tourists if the average number of weekly flights into th airport. During the 2006 low season the average was 26, this year there will be an average of 32 flights a week.

Analive Rosales, administrator of the Daniel Oduber (airport), added that in addition to the scheduled airlines coming into the airport, two charter operators will begin operations next month.

Currently, American Airlines, Delta, Continental, US Airways and United Airlines all have daily flights directly into Liberia from all parts of the United States.

In the past, tourists had to land in San José and then bused to Guanacaste, adding hours to their final beach destination.

Beginning May 7, the British airline, First Choice Airways, will be making its first stop at Liberia. First Choice will be offering regular fliths every Monday direct from Gatwick, London, until October.

Rosales agrees with Caturgua optimism.

Both the airport manager and Catugua director say they have their sights on 200.000 tourists for 2007, up from the 187.000 arriving in 2006.

To achieve that goal the airport is undegoing an expansion. Rosales said that the government is getting ready a bid for the start of construction of a new terminal by December, which will be ready one year later.

The Daniel Oduber airport is considered a "golden door" due to the high income left behind by visitors passing through the airport. The Cámara de Turismo Guanacasteca estimates that each visitor spends an average of us$2.200, while visitors to the Juan Santamaría International airport in San José leave behind us$1.400.

Doing the math, the 187.067 tourists last year left behind more than us$411 million dollars.