In celebration of World Tourism Day, on September 27, and taking into account the motto of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), for this 2023 “Investments for tourism: people, planet and prosperity.” It is important to observe how the recovery of the sector has gone, and how this motto has been fulfilled.
As is known, tourism is one of the main activities in the world, the sector generates thousands of direct and indirect jobs, as well as personal development and well-being. However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit it drastically, and for Costa Rica it was no exception.
It is important to put the future of tourism in perspective with all the aspects that may affect it. There is no doubt that it is a very vulnerable sector but also very resilient to all changes. However, there remain important risks, especially economic and geopolitical ones, to be taken forward.
More value for the tourism money
UNWTO expects tourists to increasingly seek value for money and travel close to home in response to the challenging economic environment, with recovery to pre-pandemic levels occurring by 2024 or slightly beyond.
But I consider that for this several aspects need to be covered, among them recovering the personnel who were in the sector and that is that according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, for its acronym in English), with the hit of the pandemic Of COVID-19, the sector contracted by 50.4% in 2020, resulting in a loss of 62 million jobs.
However, 2021 saw the start of the sector’s recovery as its total contribution to the global economy grew from US$4.8 trillion to US$5.8 trillion and jobs increased by 18.2 million, but still insufficient.
Environmental sustainability
In the environmental sustainability part, travelers see how to help the environment as a very important aspect when preparing an adventure, whether locally or internationally, and this makes them look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. and they are increasingly looking for ways to help our planet through internet searches or social networks.
In the case of our country, we can afford to say that it is a destination that has great natural biodiversity that makes it position itself as one of the best destinations for nature lovers. However, a lot of work still needs to be done in these areas.
Inclusion for all
Finally, the issue of inclusion for all people in the sector, whether at the level of employees or visitors, will ensure full prosperity in both fields. There are more and more tourist recreation spaces that have innovated and transformed their attractions so that everyone can access them. In this it can be said with certainty that Costa Rica is a very accessible country for its national and international tourists, but it is something that It still needs to work from education to acceptance, but we are on the right track.
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