How does a renowned tourist destination like Costa Rica adapt to fluctuations in the global market? The Central American country’s Minister of Tourism, William Rodríguez, reveals the keys to maintaining the country’s competitiveness and appeal, focusing on quality, value, and sustainability.
In recent years, Costa Rica has seen an increase according to analysis based on international arrivals by air. Last year, Rodríguez reported that the country had a spectacular first half of the year, driven by the expansion of routes and the addition of new airlines such as Brazil’s GOL, as well as the successful promotion of the destination in key markets. From January to June, 1,532,443 tourists visited Costa Rica by air, representing an increase of 14.5% over the same period in 2023.
In 2025, the Minister of Tourism reported a 2.3% decrease compared to the January-July period last year.
“We are sure that this is due to a situation, or rather to multifactorial reasons, resulting from the situation the world is experiencing, especially in our case, as we are very much linked to the US market, which accounts for 60% of our total tourists, because we are sure that the destination as such, as a product, is intact and has not suffered any decline in any sense. So, from that point of view, the reason we believe this situation is occurring, this 2.3% decrease, is due to the situation the world is experiencing,” he said.
It should be noted that the Ministry only counts tourists who enter by air. It does not count those who enter by land or sea.
Those who enter by air account for 92% of Costa Rica’s total tourism and, according to William Rodríguez, are the ones who can be influenced by promotional campaigns.
What is the basis for the solid strategy you have mentioned on several occasions for advancing in the area of tourism despite the global economic and geopolitical situations?
Costa Rica’s solid strategy for advancing in the tourism sector in the face of global circumstances is based on two aspects: “First, they are investing twice as much in the United States and Canada, twice as much as we had been investing in previous years, and more than twice as much in Europe. So that growth in resources to attract potential tourists is one of the arguments.
The second is that we have defined a short-, medium-, and long-term strategy. In other words, we were always more focused on the medium and long term in attracting potential customers to come to Costa Rica, but now we are incorporating a new element, which is trying to get people who have not yet decided where to travel to choose Costa Rica. So it is no longer just a question of promoting Costa Rica’s tourism product as an alternative, but as a short-term decision, which we did not focus on in that way before,” he reported.
Regarding the opening of air routes
In Costa Rica, 13 routes have been opened from Canada, Mexico, the United States, France, and the Netherlands.
For the remainder of the year, the goal is to open a route from Monterrey, Mexico. “We are negotiating with three airlines in Europe, but it is unlikely that these negotiations will be concluded this year.”
New presidential elections are approaching in Costa Rica. What projects or goals does Mr. William have to make further progress in the area of tourism?
The minister announced that, over the past eight months, they have been meeting with different tourism chambers and organizations to find out what their most pressing needs are, which are under the control of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), “where they think we could improve or do new things.”
To date, most chambers and organizations have already presented their needs, and the Ministry continues to work directly with them.
Regarding the fact that they are under the control of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, the Minister clarified, “We cannot influence the exchange rate issue, and therefore we cannot do anything about any request or proposal in that regard, but we can work to promote the completion of a road or a bridge. We have received their requests and are working on a primary plan to complete it in the eight months remaining in this administration.”
Minister William Rodríguez wants to be remembered for his achievements in the tourism sector…
In his opinion, for having ensured that Costa Rica’s tourism sector does not limit itself to counting the number of visitors it has, but rather learns that, based on the quality and value of the tourism product it offers, “we see a difference between the number of people who come and the quality of people who enter, which of course has to do with the average stay and average expenditure,” he said.
Three fundamental approaches that the Minister has maintained to achieve all of his objectives.
The first approach is to continuously improve the strategies that have been developed, which have been successful in attracting investment, attracting airlines, and developing new routes for airlines that already fly to Costa Rica.
The second approach has been to improve Costa Rica’s tourism product. “We are clear that promotion is our fundamental reason for existing, but at the same time, we are clear that we have an obligation to improve our tourism product, and that is why we invest in infrastructure projects in national parks, we invest in infrastructure projects to help with the country’s security, we invest in infrastructure projects in docks, ports, and airports. So that is a second variable that we have set as a goal.
The third approach is to empower Costa Rica’s 33 tourist destinations through a program called “Tourist Destination Management.” “Local populations, meaning municipalities, regional chambers, and other sectors that are not necessarily involved in tourism but support this area, such as law enforcement, take control of their destinations and compete in the best way possible with the tools they have. These are the three fundamental pillars that we have developed over the past three and a half years.”
According to the figures, what is the current situation of SMEs in terms of development, employability, and growth in the tourism sector in Costa Rica?
Regarding the current situation of SMEs, Mr. William said that according to figures provided by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC), employability has remained very positive.
“The latest data, from June of this year, shows that we have 183,000 people working directly in the tourism sector and, directly and indirectly, around 557,000 people. This means that from a tourism perspective, despite everything caused by the pandemic and other post-pandemic situations, SMEs and micro-SMEs, which were the most affected by the almost total shutdown that had to be implemented, have been recovering,” he added.
The Minister and his team have developed initiatives, special financing programs, and support from the development banking system and the popular bank, understanding that the effects of the pandemic are still an issue for some sectors of small and medium-sized enterprises. “We believe that these financial aid processes we have initiated have been ideal given the circumstances we are currently experiencing.”
Challenges in tourism management
During our TCRN team’s pleasant conversation with Mr. William, we asked him about what he considered to be challenges during his tenure. His response was that there are always challenges, one of which is infrastructure, “especially given the country’s long-standing backlog in a series of projects that should have been completed long ago. Although certain infrastructure projects have been promoted, issues such as high costs have arisen.”
According to the Minister, Costa Rica should develop some short-term plans with the aim of improving infrastructure, especially that which leads to tourist destinations such as the Caribbean and Guanacaste regions, which are highly visited by foreigners, “to make it easier for foreign tourists to visit these places. I believe that this is where the country’s greatest need lies from a tourism perspective, and that is infrastructure.”
Details regarding tourism infrastructure, completed projects, figures by region, and goals set
In this Central American country, the Ministry of Tourism, together with the relevant public institutions, is actively working to expand the capacity of Juan Santamaría International Airport, Costa Rica’s most important airport.
“At the beginning of next year, we will begin the expansion of the ramp and four more positions at Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Guanacaste. We have already begun the expansion of Route 21 in Guanacaste, from Liberia to a town called Guardia, which is a 21-kilometer extension of the route. We have coordinated with the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation to repair a series of approximately 45 bridges that lead to tourist destinations and are very important for reaching those locations, so that if those bridges had to be closed for any reason, those areas would be greatly affected,” he reported.
Is there any contribution to the conservation of marine species and, in general, all species that make up Costa Rica’s biodiversity?
The conservation of marine species and species in general is not a direct responsibility of the Ministry of Tourism, but rather of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. However, the Ministry is aware that Costa Rica’s tourism product is based primarily on nature and adventure, and part of the investment is directed toward national parks and other areas related to nature conservation and preservation.
In 15 days, Mr. William will deliver the new visitor center for Tenorio National Park.
“We have been collaborating, working on and completing certain projects at the Guayabo National Monument in Turrialba. In other words, we are investing in infrastructure projects in national parks that have to do with preservation and the safe enjoyment of their attractions,” he said.
Highlights of July and August so far in the national and international tourism sector
Rodríguez reported that the Ministry of Tourism has focused on a nationwide program that promotes gastronomy as a tourist attraction for the country, in conjunction with the ICT and television channels. They even held a nationwide contest that has been very successful.
Internationally, they have carried out actions or, as they call it in the Ministry, very specific activations in Toronto, Montreal, and other Canadian cities that deal with very specific aspects, trying to ensure that Costa Rica continues to be a viable tourist destination in the short term.
In addition, they have developed a specific campaign in July in Colombia, which is one of the main markets in South America. This campaign “is aimed at three million Colombians who have a US visa and who would have no problem entering Costa Rica because we believe that with the connectivity between the US and Colombia, it is a market that we can grow. We are participating in several adventure fairs in the United States and Argentina, which is another market we are very focused on at the moment.”
International invitations
Costa Rica has been present at numerous international trade fairs. In Colombia, tourism authorities participated in ANATO, which is the largest tourism fair in Colombia; in Brazil, they participated in WTM Latin America, and now they are going to participate in Argentina, at the largest fair they have.
In North America, Costa Rica has participated in adventure-themed fairs, covering several of the most important markets for the country. “In relation to adventure fairs, we have direct connections with 12 cities in the United States and have covered adventure fair topics with six of those cities this year. In Europe, we participated in FITUR, IFTM Top Resa, WTM, and ITB Berlin. We have already concluded Fituri and ITV, and now in September we have Top Resa, in November WTM, and we are also participating in a luxury tourism fair in France, so that is where we are focused, not to mention nautical tourism, where we are oriented towards expedition cruises, which we participate in in Miami.”
Medical Tourism in Costa Rica
We asked the Minister about strategies aimed at medical tourism, and he replied that they have not been focused on this type of tourism. “Medical tourism that is invasive, so to speak, refers to cosmetic surgery, dental work, etc. But to date, we have not promoted that. We have concentrated on another type of tourism, which is wellness tourism. Basically, what we are promoting is not invasive procedures in the country, but rather a series of activities related to the health of the body and soul, but which are not invasive,” he clarified.
Costa Rica: the ideal destination
Don William told everyone (both Costa Ricans and foreigners) that Costa Rica is a destination that goes beyond simply being a tourist attraction to become more of an asset that visitors can use to rebuild their lives and reconnect with the world.
“So we place a lot of emphasis on that, because coming to Costa Rica is not just coming to a destination to see something, but rather to improve your individual condition, which will serve you not only at that moment, but for much longer in your life,” he said.
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It is always a pleasure for us to talk with authorities such as Minister William, who always has good news about Costa Rican tourism and always has a strategy to implement in order to improve, move forward, and continue to be an example for the world.
Dear reader, if you would like to learn more about Minister William Rodríguez and the latest news in the tourism sector, you can follow him on social media and on his website: On LinkedIn, he is as William Rodríguez – Minister of Tourism; on Facebook, also as William Rodríguez – Minister of Tourism; and on the ICT’s social media: Instagram @oficial_ict; Facebook Instituto Costarricense de Turismo; and the website www.ict.go.cr.
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