QCOSTARICA — Costa Rica will close 2024 with record numbers in tourist visitation, foreign currency income, and employment. According to projections by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) = Costa Rican Tourism Board, the country could reach 2.6 million tourists by air, surpassing the 2.47 in 2023, and establishing a new historical maximum.
Regarding foreign currency income, the calculations, based on the US$4.2 billion dollars reported between January and September by the Banco Central de Costa Rica (Central Bank), suggest that the annual total will exceed US$5 billion, which would mark another absolute record for the country in terms of tourism.
Tourism employment also has notable figures: during the third quarter, 189,093 direct tourism jobs were recorded, according to the Continuous Employment Survey (ECE) of the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) – National Institute of Statistics and Census. This is the highest number in the last three years, driven by activities such as accommodation, food, transportation, car rental agencies, and recreational and cultural activities.
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“Tourism is, without a doubt, the most important economic activity in Costa Rica. Its impact is reflected not only in these figures of visitation, foreign currency and direct employment that we project for this year-end, but also in the well-being of thousands of families throughout the country.
“By adding direct and indirect jobs, nearly 25% of the economically active population performs work associated with this sector, which demonstrates its central role in our economy and in the development of communities. These estimates highlight the commitment and excellence of all the actors in Costa Rican tourism, consolidating our country as a unique and competitive destination at a global level,” said William Rodríguez, Minister of Tourism.
Roadmap for 2025
Looking ahead to 2025, the ICT will focus on two key areas: improving the tourism product and diversifying international promotion.
On the one hand, the ICT will promote investment in strategic tourism infrastructure, such as the Tourist Police delegations in Cahuita and Santa Teresa, which will be ready in April and June, respectively, with an investment of close to ¢700 million colones. We will also advance on the tourist pier in La Pavona, Tortuguero, with a contribution of ¢150 million colones, and on projects that will improve the tourist experience in key destinations such as the Tenorio Volcano National Park, the Guayabo National Monument, San Lucas Island and the Puntarenas Pier.
On the other hand, it will strengthen the promotion of Costa Rica in emerging markets such as the Scandinavian countries, with the aim of consolidating direct flights from Denmark and Italy. On our continent, we will put special emphasis on maintaining seasonal flights from the United States, Canada and Latin American countries all year round, while we continue working to establish a direct flight with Argentina.
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“Thanks to the efforts of this government, we now have the solid foundations necessary to expand our promotional strategy and explore new markets,” said William Rodríguez, Minister of Tourism.
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