Costa Rica has the objective of continuing to be a “spearhead” in ecotourism, a matter in which the Central American country has been “at the forefront” since before the pandemic and which continues to be “its main challenge” today.
In an interview with Europa Press, within the framework of the 43rd edition of the International Tourism Fair, Fitur 2023, the Market Director of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, Carolina Trejos, highlighted that the country is an example of sustainable travel and has ” a great exposure” in international forums.
“Without a doubt, Costa Rica has tourism that is respectful of the environment and we want it to continue to be so, for which we are responsible for the achievements made so far and we want to continue offering new products around ecotourism,” he explained.
In this sense, Trejos has indicated that Costa Rica’s sustainable policy has a “very positive” foreign perception, which allows it to continue attracting tourists interested in this field.
2023 will be the definitive year of recovery
The main objective for Costa Rica for the year 2023 is to “definitely” recover the figures of 2019, since in the last year they were only 10% below this “total recovery”.
“We have a very flattering calendar and good omens that 2023 will be the definitive year of consolidation, seeing the rapid growth that has occurred in the last year, especially in income, since the traveler who arrives in Costa Rica is characterized for having another level”, pointed out Trejos.
All in all, the main challenge for the country is the recovery of air capacity, the main route through which tourists enter Costa Rica. “The recovery of the airlines after the pandemic is being somewhat slow, which represents a significant bottleneck and limits our capacity,” lamented the director.
Adapt to different markets
Among its tourism priorities, Costa Rica also includes different management programs that support local development and “take into account” the communities. In this way, tourism will not only be an economic engine for the country, but also a lever for social progress.
Likewise, with respect to priority tourists, Europe continues to be for Costa Rica a market where there is room to “explore”. “We want to grow and quickly capture, in addition to more Spanish tourists, other visitors from Portugal or Scandinavia,” Trejos assured.
As for the Chinese market, the director believes that it is still early to open up to Asia, since it requires an “important” adaptation of the product, especially in gastronomy or language.
Europa Press