Costa Rica's Tourism
Booming
Tourism minister, Carlos
Ricardo Benavides, is
boasting COsta Rica's
achievement of an 11.5%
increase in tourism this
year over 2006.
Benavides detailed that
1.9 million visits were
made to Costa Rica this
year, 66% of them coming
from North America,
mainly the United
States, 17% from Europe,
7% from South America
and the balance from
other countries.
"This has been a good
year", said Benavides.
Some of the airlines to
join in the Costa Rican
tourism boom were
Spirit, Frontier,
ChampionAir and Sunwing
Airlines (the latter two
charters), along with
European airlines First
Choice, AirCaraibes and
Air Comet, providing
regular scheduled
service to and from
Costa Rica's San José
and Liberia airports.
The tourism minister
added that the increased
tourism has meant an
increase in tourism
related investments in
the country. Hilton,
Marriott and Crown hotel
chains have all
announced plans to build
resorts in Costa Rica
worth some us$800
million dollars.
Benavides said that he
sees that figure climp
to us$1 billion in 2008.
Costa Rica's objective
for 2008 is for a 4% to
5% growth in tourism,
adding new markets like
Asia, where Costa Rica
has spent a lot of
attention to attract
China's tourism sector
following renewing
diplomatic ties earlier
this year.
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