Booming tourism in Costa Rica
While U.S. economy is passing through a hard time and its citizens are cutting budget on distant travel and tourism, the influx of ever-increasing number of tourists is ushering renewed aspirations in the Tourism Industry of Costa Rica. This eventually is contribution substantially to the national economy.
A study conducted by the Guanacaste Chamber of Tourism (CATURGUA) recently revealed a 13% growth in tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2008 as compared to the entire 2007. Generally tourist numbers shoots up in this quarter and falls in the following months due to long rainy seasons. The country’s main tourist attraction is its northwestern Guanacaste province where tourists stay and comes back on a return visit.
Costa Rica became a tourist haven mainly for tourists from the U.S. and Canada. While 74% American tourists make Costa Rica a leisure destination, 26% Canadians savor the host of tourist attractions in the country. An increase in the tourists from the U.S. is supposedly due to an economic recess in the country where average tourists look for (and they found one eventually) alternative destinations than Europe or elsewhere.
Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister Carlos Ricardo Benavides, speaking at a press conference recently, underscored the good reputation that his country appears to be enjoying as per opinions of the tourists who visited Guanacaste. Amongst the surveyed tourists, 96% said that they would recommend Costa Rica to their friends and families, a finding, Mr. Benavides believes would draw more tourists in the future. He boasted that Costa Rica ranks amongst the very few tourist attraction where tourists return. The CATURGUA study, carried out by the marketing firm C&D Consultores found about 48% of the tourists had already been to Costa Rica on a previous trip, an increase by 12% during the 2007 high season and 40% during that of 2006.
Costa Rica has been an ideal tourist spot with numerous attractions. Efficient tour operators offer customized designs for family vacations, honeymoons adventures, educational eco tours and adventure travel programs at reasonable price that is hard to find. Its beautiful beaches, tropical gardens, wildlife, rainforests and picturesque scenic beauty make the tourists content to their hearts. In Guanacaste, you will find varieties of activities including fishing, rafting, diving, and bird-watching, golf, sailing etc.
Costa Rica realized its potential in tourism industry in the beginning of the 90’s when the number of tourists almost doubled from 376,000 within four years from 1989 to 1993. By 1994, tourism became the top industry passing over agriculture. Demand for eco tourism and holiday homes made Costa Rica’s tourism industry a clear success. Further to the tour billboards, there are popular real estate ads are being seen on highways. Land prices in some regions of Costa Rica have risen as much as four times due to increased construction of vacation and retirement homes.
In addition to making frequent leisure trips to Costa Rica, many are now thinking for a permanent post retirement dwelling. Booming real estate business in the country bears its evidence.
