The protected areas administered by the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), will be able to function with a capacity of 100% without the need to request the vaccination QR code from their visitors.
This decision of the Ministry of Health was celebrated by tourism entrepreneurs, who asked the institution to extend this measure to the entire sector and especially to outdoor activities. For the sector, expanding the initiative would allow to increase reservations and therefore, the entry of foreign tourists, who according to the businessmen, have had confusion related to the code and therefore canceled their trips, a loss that represents more than US $ 100 million.
“The only thing missing is that this measure applies to the entire sector, taking into account that Costa Rica is a tourist destination par excellence for foreigners, because here they find an incomparable natural beauty, the warm and pleasant attention of the Costa Rican that positions the country as a destination Pura Vida”, said Bary Roberts, tourism entrepreneur.
Reactivation of tourism positively impacts thousands of families
The most strategic economic activity in the country is precisely tourism. It represents 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generates a chain that directly and indirectly impacts between another 30% and 40% of GDP.
In 2019, this activity generated more than US $ 4,000 million of fresh income to Costa Rica, of which US $ 2,700 million remained in the country. However, with the health and economic situation generated by Covid-19, the more than 250,000 jobs generated by tourism companies in 2019 were reduced to 160,000 currently.
For these reasons and taking into account the situation of affectation of those engaged in the transport of tourists, tourism entrepreneurs call for the creation of mechanisms to reactivate their economy.
