By Rodgers Bestgen, Atenas.
I find it hard to fathom how a high volume readership publication like AM Costa Rica could be so irresponsible reporting on the world terrorism situation and its possible effect on Costa Rica; See “World terrorism Fears Likely to Reverberate here” (http://www.amcostarica.com/100410.htm#31) What are you guys trying to do anyway? Needlessly scare everybody? Create reasons to keep people away from Costa Rica? Put a further hurt on Costa Rican tourism. How in your view is a high alert in Europe a reason for people to stay away from Costa Rica? Have you heard of the Atlantic Ocean? Just how high do you think Costa Rica is on the terrorism hit list? I am guessing right up there with Antarctica. God save us from these simpering alarmist types willing to print anything for a little play.
AM Costa Rica asserts “Although the message concerns just Europe, the warning is likely to cause U.S. and Canadian tourists to think twice before leaving home.” Exactly how do you make that counter intuitive leap of logic? OK Europe is bad so we certainly won’t consider the most peaceful country in the world with the Atlantic Ocean between us and the threat as an alternative. We will just sit home and tremble in our boots. This does not sound like any American or Canadian I know. Sure they might reconsider their destinations but they aren’t cowards. This story should be about what a great alternative Costa Rica is to Europe right now. Whose side are you on anyway?
Authentic Costa Rica news is something we all want to read as interested, vested readers. News sites must hold themselves to a higher standard.
Another thing, unlike the AM Costa Rica Staff most people are aware that Costa Rica is not in Mexico or even close to Mexico. Mexican bandits would have to pass through four countries to get here. Even though its people are considered Latin Americans, they don’t all look or act alike. There are four countries separating us from Mexico for goodness sakes. Our amateurish friends at AM Costa Rica have managed to lump Mexican drug cartel criminals and Costa Ricans together with a casual and racist dash of the pencil. As far as those 212 tourists they are looking for, well they are not in Costa Rica you morons.
As far as the dollar, Colon exchange rate is concerned will someone over there please get an internet connection or watch an actual newscast? The US dollar has taken a beating everywhere in the world going on two years now. How in the heck does this distinguish Costa Rica as a less desirable travel destination? In fact the dollar has held out longer and higher here than practically anywhere in the world meaning that over time and on the average it remains one of the staunchest defenders of the exchange rate in the world. Read a book for goodness sakes.
OK now the tourist tax. Have you ever heard of balanced reporting? Don’t you think that it is in everyone’s interest to know that the tourist tax was a replacement for the 3% hotel tax and actually turns out to be a progressive rather than regressive tax move in that the burden is not only on hotel goers but now everyone who enjoys Costa Rica pays a small share? And just so everyone knows it is 15 bucks and is being billed to the airlines. Last I Checked spirit Air was still serving up tickets from Fort Lauderdale for a little over 200 bucks. Get my drift? It’s still a third world country and you wish people to make other plans, perhaps to France or Mexico over 15 bucks.
Lastly let’s explore the rainy season in Costa Rica. Is this something new? Is this actually news? Yes every year we get torrential rains in Costa Rica but somehow this is something new to the AM Costa Rica staff of doomsayers. Every year we have torrential rains every year THE ROADS TAKE A BEATING. The only thing different now is that after the rainy season the Government picks up and repairs the damaged roads, whereas in administrations past they were left to rot for several years, deeply affecting the tourism industries. As far as Guanacaste is concerned the roads are greatly improved, the best they have been in my 7 years in the country having in the last year undergone major upgrades, line painting and reflector installation. Obviously this information does not fit in with the gloomy picture painted by some cub reporter looking for a headline but woefully short of facts or insight. Here’s another newsflash for you Einstein’s. The rainy season always ends. In fact it regularly ends like clockwork for as long as recorded history. In case you have not been following it this is one of the reasons why the Gold Coast beaches enjoy such a robust tourism season.
This article is written for the worst reason, to grab attention through fear mongering. It highlights several troubling issues in the world far away from Costa Rica and tries to make it a Costa Rica story. It hurts tourism, Costa Rica’s number one industry. AM Costa Rica has great power because of a large readership but they lack the responsibility required of such power. Their journalistic integrity takes a backseat to the worst form of sensationalism and of course ad sales. You are biting the hands that feed you with such shoddy journalism. Shame on you AM Costa Rica!