Several have asked if Costa Rica is suffering economically from decreased travel or investment and residence purchasing for as dollars-strapped foreigners deal with globe-wide economies suffering from larger oil costs and other regional difficulties such as the U.S. residence mortgage crisis.
It need to seriously go with out saying that Costa Rica is surely concerned – specifically with fears of a complete-blown economic recession in the United States. Following all, Americans accounted for 54% of the 1.9 million guests that traveled to Costa Rica in 2007.
Just not as properly extended ago the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT) launched an aggressive $14 million dollar U.S. promoting and advertising campaign added than the Planet-wide-net and by indicates of a public relations agency hired in New York to promote Costa Rica as an exotic location that is closer and substantially substantially less high-priced than similarly marketed destinations such as Thailand and other Asian nations.
Europe is the second greatest market for Costa Rica tourism, accounting for 17% of the visitors. The majority of the European travelers are from Spain, Germany, France, England, and Italy. In addition to these nations, the ICT is intensifying publicity in the establishing markets of Russia, France and Switzerland. Advertising and marketing and advertising Costa Rica to Asian markets is on the agenda as appropriately. Final year an agreement was signed with China, adding Costa Rica as a tourist place.
With so a lot of diverse nations deciding upon Costa Rica as a really 1st-tier trip place, the ICT predicts a tourist development value of six% in 2008. This in addition to the ten.15% improve accomplished just final year.
Costa Rica as a Location for Entrepreneurs:
Surveys of Costa Rica vacationers indicate they are nicely educated and commit considerable discretionary earnings on travel. The majority are adventurous with their possibilities of activities and accommodations and tactic their personal trips versus relying on travel agents. These primarily American vacationers are affluent, college educated with significantly extra than 90% having bachelors or graduate degrees, middle aged, and married with out the want of children living at residence. Their education and earnings levels indicate they are higher-end travelers that are somewhat recession proof.
Activities in Costa Rica:
Conservative travel activities and moderate length of remain are favored by the prevalent Costa Rica traveler. The majority of the initial-time travelers favor Costa Rica a lot far more than any other Latin American place that they had visited mostly primarily based on Costa Rica’s ecotourism and its unspoiled atmosphere. The principal activities of these travelers are:
* Ecotourism
* Sightseeing
* Beach and Waterfront Activities
Rank of Latin American Nations:
The truth that Costa Rica was ranked as the quantity-a single particular location amongst Latin American nations indicates its present worldwide attractiveness as a single of the worlds prime tourist destinations.
Rank of Globe-Wide Nations:
The United Nations Globe Tourism Organization (UNWTO) projects the strengthen in planet-wide international tourist arrivals to be about three % for 2008 … although projecting Costa Rica’s 2008 tourism enhance to be about ten % .
Costa Rica has been a member of the United Nations Planet Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for three years and in October, 2008 Costa Rica’s Minister of Tourism, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, was appointed to head the UNWTO Executive Council. ” live on a budget is a higher recognition of Costa Rica’s efforts in sustainable tourism. [Costa Rica] has create to be a model and leader in this arena,” pointed out Minister Benavides.
According to Minister Benavides “This position plays an critical function inside the WTO as it aids to lead and approve … crucial subjects such as poverty eradication via tourism in producing nations, fair economic distribution, as nicely as conversation, protection and sufficient use of all-natural resources.
Travel to Costa Rica:
Final year, seven new airlines began flying to Costa Rica 4 U.S. and three European. These new flight selections represented an raise in 675,000 supplied seats for a grand total of two.7 million annual airline seats to Costa Rica – which is a 33% boost extra than the final a quantity of years. Costa Rica is now functioning to attract two new low-expense American airlines as nicely as a giant European airline interested in adding Costa Rica as a new location.