Posts Tagged “costa rica tourism”

For the fifth consecutive year, the Travel Weekly magazine has named Costa Rica as “Top Latin American Tourism Destination” for the year 2008.  The recurrent distinction on behalf of Travel Weekly exalts Costa Rica’s meticulous and arduous emphasis within the tourism sector.

The methodology behind choosing the top destination is based on the survey among 180,000 magazine subscribers.  In addition, these subscribers are linked with the tourism industry in the United States and represent hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, suppliers and corporations.

The areas that voters take into consideration are the quality of the tourism services, excellence in service and the country’s natural attractions.  Costa Rica attracts millions of tourists each year due to its beaches, incredibly diverse National Park System, hotel infrastructure and its stable political environment.

The Minister of Tourism, Carlos Ricardo Benavidez, commented about the special distinction mentioning that it is an acknowledgement of the country’s hard work and dedication within the tourism industry.

The honor goes out to the work of all sectors within the industry such as Costa Rica hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, service providers, transportation companies, rent-a-cars and more.

This year, Costa Rica beat other popular destinations such as Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Belize for the Travel Weekly “Top Latin American Tourism Destination” distinction.

This article on Costa Rica Hotels

As the year 2008 is coming to an end, Costa Rican authorities within the tourism industry have analyzed the industry’s behavior as well as their actions.  Despite the world financial crisis, Costa Rica was able to close the year with a 12% increase when compared to 2007.

Although the increase rate did slow down a bit this year due to international caution and expectation regarding the recession, the tourism sector in Costa Rica was able to bring in a total of US$2.2 billion versus the US$1.9 billion in 2007.

The Costa Rican Bureau of Tourism invested nearly US$2 million in international marketing and promotion of Costa Rica in the last three months as well as in participating in several high profile travel markets such as FITUR in Spain and the ITB in Germany.

The main marketing target was the United States and Europe from where the majority of tourists to Costa Rica come from.  Tourists from these regions find Costa Rica’s biodiversity and sustainable practices very attractive and as an example that other countries should follow.

Among the Costa Rica hotels, tourists are opting for those with strong sustainable practices and eco-friendly operations.  The hotels in Costa Rica are focusing more and more on ways it can benefit the local community as well as on having the minimum environmental impact on its surroundings.

Although Costa Rica has a strong tourism market due to its years of experience and environmental consciousness, authorities are not resting on their laurels and are working hard in promoting Costa Rica as the top Latin American destination for 2009.

This article in Costa Rica Hotels