Tourism Minister
Admits Tourism is Down In The Last Six Months
The last semester of 2008 was not very
positive for the tourism sector as the start of the "high" tourism
season began with a decrease in the number of visitors to the
country, a trend that began last July.
The Costa Rican tourism board - ICT - says that the number of
visitors at both international airports, Juan Santamaría and the
Daniel Oduber, in Liberia, dropped 2.4% between July and December
2008.
In real numbers, 9210.000 visitors arrived at the airports during
the second half of 2007, while only 899.000 in the same period for
2008.
The international economic crisis, more particularly the financial
crisis in the United States, is the principal cause of the decrease,
according to tourism officials.
Visitors from the US represents 54% of the total tourism arriving
each year.
"As the crisis deepened, it decreased the number of passengers",
said Alfredo Aguileta, director of Alterra, the manager of the Juan
Santamaría airport.
For his part, the minister of Tourism, Carlos Ricardo Benavides,
recognized publicly that the pace of the tourism in August, October,
November and December, did in fact drop.
The minister added that this year the ICT will spend us$20 million
dollars to promote toursim in Costa Rica, primarily in the US
markets.
Even though the numbers for the second half of the year were down,
2008 was a record year for tourism in Costa Rica, receiving 2
million visitors, 100.000 more than in 2007.
Benavides added that the drop in visitors to Costa Rica is not only
from the US, but also less Canadians which make 6% of all tourists
to COsta Rica.
"It would be suicide not to spend on promoting the country to the
world, believing that there countries better than the US is a
fallacy. Yes, we must diversify, but without abandoning out best
market", said Benavides.
Pablo Solano, director of the Cámara Costarricense de Hoteles, said
that the recession has made visitors more prudent, like not
reversing so far in advance as had been the case for some time and
looking for deals where they get more for their dollar in tours,
food and accommodations. |
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