The vaccine against COVID-19 gives hope for economic recovery, especially in the hotel business, one of the hardest hit in 2020 by the absence of foreign tourists, who represent 80% of its market.
Being Costa Rica one of the first Latin American countries to apply the doses, added to the fact that the management of the Pandemic has been outstanding, places it as one of the most desirable destinations for 2021.
This is how it is considered by publications from influential international media such as BBC Mundo, El País, PopSugar, Condé Nast Traveler, Bloomberg and Nat Geo, who praise not only the health issue, but the already recognized reputation of a green country and environmental leader.
The trend is for the strategy of attracting local tourism to continue in 2021, while international tourism normalizes with the coverage of vaccines, especially in Europe and the United States, the key markets for Costa Rica.
Key markets
“It is clear that health is directly linked to travel and we hope that the Pandemic does not get worse in these key markets, more so than the entire United States. We also hope that the vaccine will give enough confidence for people to lose their fear of traveling,” said Ricardo Araya, touristic entrepreneur.
The Pandemic not only reduced regular visitation but also group tourism, the most lucrative and that has practically vanished due to the imperative of respecting social bubbles. The resumption of flights is another factor to consider and the rate of reopening of Costa Rica is good when compared to other countries in the region.
Continued increase in air travel
“We expect an increase in direct flights from Miami, New York, Houston, Atlanta and Los Angeles. The flights that are available involve multiple stopovers and many hours, which causes the client to decide not to travel”, explained Federico Gurdian, another touristic manager. Finally, health protocols are still in the “top of mind” of the tourist, so that the lodgings should not neglect this aspect in their value offer.
