Courtesy of InsideCostaRica.com
According to figures released by the Cámara Nacional de Turismo de Costa Rica (Canatur), 532.000 tourists visited Costa Rica during the first three months of the year, 65.000 more than the same period in 2007.
The Canatur numbers take into account entries by tourists at the two international airports and land crossing points.
The numbers are broken down as such: 358.705 people entered by way of the Juan Santamaría (San José) international airport; 78.014 at the Daniel Oduber International airport in Liberia; and 95.281 by land crossings at Peñas Blancas border with Nicaragua and Paso Canoas with Panama.
Carlos Benavides, tourism minister of Costa Rica, said that the increase shows no negative effect with the economical crisis in the United States, the major source for tourists visiting Costa Rica.
Benavides said that the almost 14% increase in tourism is the wish of most countries around the world.
Notwithstanding the good news, Benavides showed concern of the high cost of hotel accomodations as they are too high a stretch for most Costa Ricans. The tourism minister said that there should be some incentive for a price reduction.
Alberto López, director of Canatur, said that the increase is due to the good options the country offers tourists. López said that Americans see Costa Rica as a close destination and price accessible and that the efforts to promote the country in the United States is paying off.
López added that the week dollar against the Euro makes Costa Rica one the better options.
