• The award criteria included reusing materials and following public health protocols to combat COVID-19.
• The fair began on May 19 and finished on Sunday.

Friday, May 21, 2021. Madrid, Spain. Costa Rica received the Best Sustainable Stand award at the global tourism trade fair FITUR this Friday, which recognized the reuse of materials, the use of sustainable elements, energy savings, hiring local personnel and closely following public health protocols to combat COVID-19.

• Passengers will receive results in approximately one hour, allowing them to fulfil entrance requirements in certain countries that require the test.
• Laboratorios Echandi will be in charge of operating the service.

Beginning on May 14, the Juan Santamaría International Airport, under the administration of AERIS Costa Rica, will offer a rapid testing laboratory to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.

Measure announced by public health authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19.

• Public health measures at visitor centers will remain in force.
• Measures will apply from May 13-31, inclusive.

SINAC and ICT ask visitors to follow a series of recommendations for a safe visit.

• Engaging in responsible and safe tourism in PWAs requires consistent action on the part of everyone involved.
• SINAC and ICT have launched campaigns to promote respect for wildlife and visitor safety.
• Use official websites to learn about the PWA that you will be visiting.
• If travelling with a tour operator or guide, make sure that they have ICT certifications and/or the necessary operating permits.

• Convention Center received three major awards: gold in the “People’s Choice” category and bronze in the “Convention Center” and “Versatile Venue” categories.

May 13, 2021. The Costa Rica Convention Center (CRCC) continues to stand out for its quality services, operations and infrastructure. It most recently received three accolades in the 11th Eventex Awards, a global awards ceremony for events and experiential marketing from around the world.

• Costa Rican Minister of Tourism Gustavo J. Segura and Anasha Campbell, Minister of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism, met with political and tourism industry leaders in the Guanacaste region.

Friday, April 23, 2021- The prospects of promoting La Cruz Canton and the surrounding tourism corridor as an attraction for domestic, cross-border and European tourism were among the topics discussed in a meeting attended by Tourism Minister Gustavo J. Segura on Thursday.

The meeting, which was held in the conference room of the Municipal Office of La Cruz, was also attended by Anasha Campbell, Minister of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism; Luis Alonso Alan, Mayor of La Cruz; Daguer Hernández, Deputy Director of the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreigners; and representatives of the Guanacaste Conservation Area, the La Cruz Chamber of Tourism Businesses, the La Cruz Chamber of Commercial and Tourism Development, and the Coastal Tourism Corridor.

“La Cruz is a border canton that offers impressive tourist attractions, ongoing tourism investments that have created hundreds of jobs in the community as well as opportunities for social progress through rural and community tourism initiatives that will soon be rolled out,” said Segura.

“With an increasing number of European tourists arriving in Costa Rica, tourism in this border community seeks to allow multi-country tours. This cross-border tourism corridor unites the attractions of our northern coast with those of the southern Pacific coast of Nicaragua.”

Anasha Campbell noted that tourism is linked to improved quality of life in local communities, while the industry has a role to play in ensuring immigration flows between the communities in order to support their development.

Manuel Alan, President of the La Cruz Chamber of Tourism, participated in the meeting, which he described as a positive development in the mission to attract more domestic and international visitors to the region while continuing to comply with the current public health measures.

“La Cruz has over 40 different attractions, offering history, geography, sport fishing and heritage in the canton of the petroglyphs. We have enough to keep a tourist entertained for a two-week visit,” said Alan.

In addition to this roundtable, Segura held private meetings with investors and representatives from the La Cruz Chamber of Tourism and with tourism business leaders from coastal communities from Cuajiniquil.

La Cruz Coastal Tourism Corridor

The La Cruz Coastal Tourism Corridor (CTC) was implemented in 2019 with the aim of attracting domestic and international tourists.

It is comprised of the Santa Elena Peninsula, Bahía Salinas and the coastal communities of El Jobo, Puerto Soley, Cuajiniquil and La Cruz.

From La Cruz to Cuajiniquil, the region offers rural farm tourism, birdwatching, whale and dolphin tours, diving, snorkeling, tours with local fishermen, visits to the Isla Bolaños Wildlife Refuge, and geological features, as La Cruz is one of the few places on earth where visitors can see layers of the earth’s crust emerging from the sea.

The beaches of La Cruz are considered one of the top global destinations for kitesurfing, while visitors can also enjoy local cuisine, with seafood and local specialties such as hand-made tortillas, gallina achiotada or arroz de maíz.

La Cruz has been declared the canton of petroglyphs as it is has some of the most abundant archaeological findings of anywhere in the country. The region is also rich in marine wildlife thanks to the cool waters, which provide a refuge for marine species. It is easy to spot whales, turtles, sharks, manta rays and many other ocean species in the area.

Isla Bolaños, an island in Bahía Soley, is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area and a Marine Bird Sanctuary. Visits to the island are possible through licensed tour operators.

For more information on local attractions and the tourist attractions in this and other regions of the country, please visitwww.lacruzguanacaste.com and www.vamosaturistear.com. Remember, when you go to visit tourist attractions, follow all health protocols and act responsibly.

• Gradual and responsible reopening to tourism are the main reasons to choose our country.
• Vaccinated individuals, couples, families and digital nomads are the main profile of travelers who choose Costa Rica as their preferred destination.
• Tourists show a preference for nature and open spaces.

April 20, 2021 According to 150 tourism professionals surveyed in Spain, Costa Rica is one of the top 5 global destinations with the best travel outlook this summer, occupying the top spot in the Americas.

This is the main finding from the Spring 2019/Covid-19 issue of the 1st Study on Perceptions of Safe Destinations, published by The Blueroom Project in Spain.

Costa Rica ranked fourth in the global ranking of international destinations, with a score of 71%, as well as taking the top spot for travel destinations in the Americas.

One of the main findings of the survey, carried out on March 15-30, 2021, was that the destinations that have opened to tourism while also demonstrating competent management of the pandemic will be the most likely to receive tourists in the upcoming summer season.

“One of the commitments and challenges that the ICT has undertaken in the current environment is to maintain a solid presence of the Essential Costa Rica brand in our priority tourist-sending markets (the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands). This study shows that we have achieved our goal,” said Gustavo J. Segura, the Minister of Tourism.

Segura noted the importance of continuing to adhere to public health protocols in order to safeguard the ongoing reactivation of the tourism industry.

Results of the study 

According to the survey, the factors that influenced the selection of destinations were COVID-19 safety (86%) and flexible offers (64%).

Nature and open spaces were another important factor behind choosing a destination (63% of survey respondents), while connectivity and accessibility was mentioned by 27% of the experts. The tourism professionals surveyed also mentioned image and reputation as an important factor (21%) as well as sustainability (7%).

According to Segura, the country’s promotional efforts are focused on the strengths of the destination, including the ability to visit year-round, the variety of outdoor activities without crowds, and the sustainable and secure approach that complies with the strict biosafety protocols implemented by all tourism subsectors.

“We have continued to follow these strategies to demonstrate that our country is a sanctuary of sustainability, a destination that allows visitors to experience life’s essential values,” said Segura.

Table: 

• A total of 89,263 tourists entered the country from all ports of entry, the largest number since borders were closed for a five-month period last year at the beginning of the pandemic.

Tuesday, April 20, 2021. With 89,263 international arrivals, March was the busiest month for tourist arrivals to Costa Rica since the gradual reopening of borders that began last August.

This is the first time that tourist arrivals from all ports of entry have reached this level since March 2020, when the COVID-19 health crisis began and borders were closed for nearly five months.

According to information from the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreigners analyzed by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), 66,505 international arrivals (74.5% of the total) were from North America, of whom 62,370 came from the United States, 2,706 from Mexico and 1,429 from Canada.

In addition, 14,183 tourists arrived from Europe, 3,382 from Central America, 3,881 from South America and 284 from the Caribbean.

“These numbers are very uplifting given the global situation and the difficulties that the tourism sector is facing in its recovery,” said Gustavo J. Segura, the Minister of Tourism. “In order to keep these numbers where they are and ensure that they grow, it is vitally important that we commit to following public health protocols. That is how we protect the progress made in the reactivation of the tourism industry and the country.”

In January 2021, 62,200 tourists arrived from all ports of entry, while that number was 55,252 in February. In the year’s first quarter, there were a total of 206,715 arrivals.

Air arrivals represented the lion’s share of entries to Costa Rica, with 88,391 of the 89,263 arrivals recorded in March.

Juan Santamaría International Airport received 62,017 international arrivals, while Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, in Guanacaste, welcomed 26,374 tourists. These figures were the highest since March 2020 in both airports.

• Airline will restart its routes to San José and Guanacaste with three weekly flights.

Monday, April 19, 2021- With three weekly flights beginning June 29, KLM will restart its routes to Costa Rica on its usual Amsterdam-San José-Liberia-Amsterdam route, which it will fly on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

“We are delighted to celebrate KLM’s return,” said Gustavo J. Segura, Minister of Tourism. “The company is putting its faith in Costa Rica, increasing the number of seats in the coming months and promoting the arrival of Europeans, whose average stays in the country are as high as 18 days.” Segura added that the June start date for flights coincides with the beginning of the European summer. By that point, more Europeans will be vaccinated against COVID-19 and ready to travel internationally to a destination like Costa Rica that has strong public health measures in place.

For the province of Guanacaste, the news brings hope of new tourism sector jobs.

“We are overjoyed that the Dutch airline KLM has confirmed that they will restart their operations in Guanacaste beginning in June,” said Cesar Jaramillo, General Manager of CORIPORT, the administrator of the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport. “This news is a major boost to our growth projections for the second half of the year.”

“By working alongside governmental institutions, we have made a concerted effort to attract more European tourists, who contribute to the growth of the destination and the reactivation of the country’s economy. Guanacaste’s airport is prepared to receive a larger volume of travel while continuing to comply with public health protocols and the Protejámonos (let’s protect each other) initiative by Vinci Airports to serve our visitors and employees and keep them safe,” Jaramillo continued.

Meanwhile, Rafael Mencía, Executive Director of AERIS, the administrator of the Juan Santamaría International Airport, noted that KLM’s decision to extend its operations to the airport is the result of efforts by the Costa Rican Tourism Board with support from AERIS as an airport manager.

“We are constantly following the public health requirements that are so crucial in these times,” said Mencía. “These efforts seek to continue attracting visitors going to and from important cities such as Amsterdam, strengthening our connections to the Netherlands, which is the fifth-largest tourist-sending market for Costa Rica.”

Beginning on June 29, KLM will fly to Costa Rica on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving at Juan Santamaría International Airport at 1:05 p.m. and leaving for Liberia at 2:45 p.m. From Liberia, it will head back to the Netherlands at 4:40 p.m. 

Although the flights already appear on the airline’s booking system, the final authorization from the Costa Rican Civil Aviation authorities is still outstanding, though it is expected in the coming days.

April 15, 2021– The low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines announced plans today to return to Costa Rica. Its direct flights from Miami and Orlando to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) will begin in July 2021 with two weekly departures on each route.

“We are thrilled to return to Costa Rica with direct flights from San José to Miami and Orlando beginning in July,” said Daniel Shurz, Senior Vice President, Commercial of Frontier Airlines. “Frontier Airlines focuses on offering affordable rates and friendly service. We hope to welcome locals and visitors alike on board in Florida and show them the marvelous natural beauty of Costa Rica, its enchanting beaches and limitless activities.”

“Frontier’s return to Costa Rica, with the inauguration of the new routes from Miami and Orlando to San José is an encouraging development because these are two key markets: attracting international tourists to our country as well as serving local tourism demand, since the state of Florida is a favorite destination among Costa Ricans,” said Gustavo J. Segura, Costa Rica’s Minister of Tourism.

New routes to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO): 

The frequencies and schedules are subject to change; those interested should check FlyFrontier.com for the most up-to-date schedules.

Frontier doesn’t only offer its customers low airfare, but also the possibility of customizing their travel to their needs and budget. For example, passengers can purchase à la carte options or a low-price package called WORKS. This package includes a refundable ticket, a carry-on bag, a checked bag, seat selection, zero change fees and priority boarding.

Frontier requires all passengers and crew to wear a mask for the entire trip. In addition, everyone flying with Frontier has to complete a health check before flying in which they confirm that:

• Neither they nor anyone in their family have shown Covid-related symptoms in the last 14 days.
• They will wash/disinfect their hands before boarding the flight.
• They understand and acknowledge the airline mask policy and the pre-boarding temperature control policies.

“We applaud the boost to the second half of the year with the presence of a new airline in Costa Rica and the Juan Santamaría International Airport,” said Rafael Mencía, the Executive Director of AERIS Costa Rica. “The arrival of Frontier is a testament to the process of market reactivation and the effective coordination that AERIS has been undertaking along with the Costa Rican Tourism Board to support the sector.”

“Frontier’s routes to and from Miami and Orlando expand the opportunities for Costa Ricans and tourists to have new experiences and visit destinations of interest. With this new partner, Juan Santamaría Airport will continue to build the network of airlines that connect Costa Rica with the world,” Mencía continued.

For more information, see https://www.flyfrontier.com/committed-to-you/