North American visitors to Costa Rica

[Northeast News]

The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo reports that in 2005 53% of visitors to Costa Rica were from the U.S. and Canada, but now only 48% are because so many more visitors are arriving from Central and South American countries

At the same time, the number of North American visitors has grown from about 900,000 to 1,000,000.

All in all, is this a good development for Costa Rica? 

 

[George Beecroft,]

I think the influx of "visitors" be they first time tourists, relatives of foreigners living in Costa Rica, or foreigners returning after a three-day exit to continue their 3-month tourist status, is great for the Costa Rica economy.

This influx doesn't take jobs away from Costa Ricans but causes more jobs to be created in all sectors of the economy. In the past, ICT defined everyone coming to Costa Rica as a "tourist" seeking hotel accommodations and sightseeing tours, throwing all kinds of money along the way. But over the years they realized that many of  the incoming visitors also rent homes, ride the buses, shop at the farmers markets and eat at the low-cost sodas. And Costa Rica is all the better for it.