An initiative aims to celebrate the National Surfing Day every 3rd Saturday of October while declaring that sport of public interest. On Tuesday, the proponent deputy, Melvin Núñez Piña, presented the text in a press conference held in the Hall of Ex-Presidents of the Legislative Assembly.
For the Congressman of the National Restoration Party (PRN), the objective of the project is to generate contributions to the economic activation of the coastal areas of the country, from the recognition that Costa Rica has earned internationally as a tourist destination with favorable places for the practice of that sport.
“Here we have waves as important as the 2nd longest in the world, which is the Pavones (in Puntarenas), but we also have world champions, Central Americans and boys who travel through all countries representing a shirt, a country shirt, which leaves not only very well and today we have the opportunity to return to them, with this bill, the resources that at some point have had not be declared of national interest”, said Núñez.
In the same sense, the president of the Federation of Surf (Fedesurf), Randall Chaves, mentioned during his exhibition that the national territory constitutes an attraction in great measure for its hot water, as well as for the fact that, on the same day, it is possible to be on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
“For us, this project is very important because our discipline has been growing day by day, we feel that it has been evolving, it is a sport that gives Costa Rica a lot, not only in the sports sector but also in the tourist sector. been the most renowned tourist destinations at the surf level, “said the representative.
“This initiative we believe will help us further develop our discipline, to put the country in an international environment, a global environment in which we can expose and make Costa Rica a relatively important tourist destination at the surf level”, Chaves added.
According to figures released by the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT) to the legislator, during 2017, the country received some 600 thousand surfers, among media, advanced and professionals. That profile of visitors, on average, stays 17 days and makes expenses for US$ 122 per day.
With those figures that show the importance of the activity as a productive chain, Núñez obtained the support of 52 representatives, who signed the initiative, which is processed from Tuesday under file 21.241.
The beaches of Hermosa and Jacó, in addition, have been host to world championships organized by the International Surfing Association (ISA) in 2009 and 2016, respectively. Estimates used by Nuñez to justify the plan indicate that in the first of the jousts, the local commerce registered profits of US$ 1.5 million, the product of some 100 thousand tourists that attended the event. In the 2nd opportunity that Costa Rica organized the competition. The visits grew up to 10 times.