The Chamber of Tourism and Sustainable Commerce of the Central Pacific (CATUCOSO) expresses its opposition to the legislative initiative that seeks to modify Law No. 9875, and whose purpose is to transfer holidays to Monday to promote local tourism, in addition to recreation and family time for Costa Ricans. In the proposal recently made by the liberationist deputy Kattia Rivera Soto, it is intended to return the enjoyment of the Mother’s Day holiday to August 15th, and not to the 14th as it is expected to be this year.
Said modification would not contribute at all to the reactivation of the tourism sector, especially after the pandemic. “We understand the good will on the part of the legislator with this initiative, but as active members of the sector, we know that it is not the best decision at this time. Tourism and commerce have not only been affected by the pandemic, but also by the container crisis and the rise in fuels, which is why we have not yet reached the levels of visitation prior to the pandemic”, Juan Carlos Chávez, president of the Chamber, commented.
Added to this is the fact that, with the transfer of the holiday to Mondays, there is a greater opportunity for Costa Rican families to plan their trips in advance and spend more quality time together, as it is 3 days off in a row. This point should be another aspect to weigh before modifying the law.
As Chávez explained, it is essential that the deputies of the Legislative Assembly consider that the transitory provision added to article 148 of the Labor Code has not lost any type of validity or usefulness. Since its approval and up to the present, the fact that holidays are enjoyed on Mondays has been very useful so that the tourism industry can recover the levels prior to Covid-19. “As the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) did, we want to express our concern that this measure be approved, because it will imply a brake on the growth for which we have bet and worked so hard these last 3 years”, Chávez added.
