Tourism Sector Estimate
Bill Will Intensify
Competitiveness
(Infocom) — Tourism is
the most important
economic activity for
the country and although
it generates high
dividends for the
general economy, it is
necessary to create its
own source of income
according to the demands
from the sector to
insure that the industry
is effective and to
guarantee investments in
the tourist industry in
the country.
It is for this that
Gonzalo Vargas,
President of the Costa
Rican Chamber of Tourism
(CANATUR) considers that
the approval in a second
debate of the bill for
the Strengthening of the
Development of the
National Tourist
Industry will be a key
tool to intensify
promotion and marketing
campaigns and in the end
strengthen even more the
country’s image in the
world outlook Current
promotion and marketing
of the country as a
tourist destination is
ran by the Costa Rican
Institute of Tourism (ICT)
and is financed by the 3
percent tax that they
have charged since 1960
to nationals and
foreigners for lodging
services; however these
resources are
insufficient compared
with the number of
incoming tourists, which
the total is estimated
to be 2,070,000 visitors
by the end of the year.
The bill eliminates the
3 percent tax and
creates a $15 tax or its
equivalent in colones
according to the
exchange rate that day,
which will be charged to
each person that enters
the country by air if
they purchased their
ticket outside the
country, which by
Vargas´ opinion will be
a shot to the budget
that will allow the
planned objectives to
take place in the sector
in order to guarantee
sustainable tourism as
it confronts the world
wide economic crisis.
“The approval of this
bill symbolizes a great
step for the sector,
which will allow them to
meet the actual
necessities of the
industry and greatly
focus on the fulfillment
of effective goals and
objectives in the
development of promotion
strategies,” stated
Vargas.
The President of CANATUR
supports both
initiatives in order to
optimize conditions for
tourists with better
hotel rates, strengthen
the work of the ICT, and
allow them to solidify
image plans, marketing,
and planning to
intensify the positive
projection of Costa Rica
as a tourist
destination.
In effect, last November
13, the Legislative
Assembly approved the
abolition of the 3
percent tax that was
added on to hotel
services. The initiative
was approved just in
time for the start of
the high tourism season.
The tax added to hotels
and cabins for
foreigners as well as
nationals will be
exchanged for a $15 tax
that will be added to
airline tickets that are
purchased abroad with a
destination to Costa
Rica, with which they
hope to raise some $25
million in the first
year after applying the
new tax.
Even though the tourism
sector enjoys a series
of financial incentives,
it has recently run into
a series of financial
obstacles.
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