Costa Rica has closed the year with very positive figures, confirming the trend of previous months, in which Spain continues to be one of the leading markets in the ranking of European travelers to the country.
Thus, Costa Rica closed 2022 with the entry of 2,349,537 tourists, of which 90.4% arrived by air (2,117,960), as reflected in the data from the General Directorate of Migration and Aliens analyzed by the Institute Costa Rican Tourism.
The United States continues to be the most important issuing market with 1,252,469 visitors, while the main European issuing markets were the United Kingdom, with 70,425; Germany, with 66,716, France, with 59,504 and Spain, which is in the top 5 of the main issuing markets, with 53,217 visitors by air, 34.3% more than in 2021.
International tourist arrivals have registered a notable increase month by month, generating a positive environment in the country’s tourism sector for this high season. Specifically, the country of Pura Vida received 74.4% more visitors last year compared to 2021.
By air, December was also the best month, with the arrival of 260,112 visitors by all routes, 20% more than in December of the previous year, of which 231,402 traveled by air. Specifically, the United States was also the main issuing market, with a total of 127,452 visitors, and in Europe, the United Kingdom was the main European issuing country, with 8,120 tourists, followed by Germany (6,749), France (5,978) and Spain ( 4093).
This is data that has been increasing notably month by month, according to official statistics, and to which the country’s recovery and growing air connectivity have contributed, with agreements such as that of Iberojet (Ávoris/Barceló Group) that has provided new direct weekly flights from Madrid to San José complementary to the traditional direct flights of Iberia, which has recovered the daily frequency during the summer; all of this, in addition to the operations of other European airlines such as Lufthansa, KLM, Air France or Edelweiss.
National Tourism Plan 2022 – 2027: An engine for development
But, above all, the Ministry of Tourism is committed to a new National Tourism Plan, with great objectives for the growth and improvement of the Costa Rican tourism industry and for tourism to remain the leader of the national economy:
In the first place, it promotes a resilient tourism activity that makes sustainable use of tourism and cultural heritage. With this, it is sought to have in the year 2027 tourist destination management plans that integrate local tourism development, sustainable production and measures to combat climate change and its effects in all the 32 Tourism Development Centers of the country.
Second, it promotes the distribution of demand in the 32 Tourist Development Centers of Costa Rica to continue improving the quality of life of the communities in the different regions. The goal in a period of five years is to reach and surpass the level of 70 points in the Social Progress Index in these centers. Also, in order to maintain tourism as the main engine of the Costa Rican economy and, with this, achieve in 2027 the income of 4.9 billion dollars in foreign currency, along with the arrival in the country of 3.8 million tourists per all routes and 400,000 cruise passengers disembarking in all ports of the country.
In addition, Costa Rica and the Costa Rican Tourism Institute are already part of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which will contribute to the fulfillment of the general institutional objective established in the National Tourism Plan aimed at “maintaining tourism as the main engine of the Costa Rican economy”, as affirmed by the Minister of Tourism, William Rodríguez.
The success of Costa Rica lies in the clear positioning of the country as the natural destination par excellence, since, in addition to grouping more than 6.5% of the world’s biodiversity and having 28% of protected areas, it continues to implement expanded sustainability measures and of social progress in tourism. In addition, the visitor repeats since, according to ICT data, he returns to the destination up to 7 times with an increase in the stay from 12.6 to 13.6 days.
In this way, it is configured as a leading tourist destination in the world in terms of ecotourism, sports & adventure, well-being, multiculturalism, traditions, gastronomy and sustainable luxury, with wide air connectivity at a European level and with security. According to the latest official figures, a total of 478 companies and 13 Costa Rican associations have the Safe Travels seal granted by the World Travel and Tourism Council. In addition, these annual figures reinforce its innovative, sustainable and inclusive tourism model, in favor of local development that will continue in 2023.
