Ticos Travelling Abroad More
Than Ever
Competition between airlines as they offer
deals to attract customers and corner the
market, along with a rise in confidence in
the economy, has mean an increase of Costa
Ricans (Ticos) travelling abroad.
According to the Dirección General de
Migración y Extranjería (immigration
service), some 280.000 Ticos have travelled
abroad since the beginning of the year, up
from 182.000 for the same period in 2009.
The majority use the Juan Santamaría
International airport in San José (171.000),
the Daniel Oduber international airport in
Liberia (31.000) and the rest by land or
sea.
Juan Carlos Ramos, president of the Cámara
Nacional de Turismo (CANATUR) - national
tourism board - said "I am not surprised by
the airlines dropping their prices to corner
the market, which in many cases making it
more attractive to travel to another country
that vacation within Costa Rica."
Examples of that are deals like those
offered by Taca in the past couple of months
of $99 return to places like Nicaragua or
Panama and $249 to Miami. Other airlines
like Copa also have special deals for travel
within the region, competing with Taca.
The economic recovery is also a major factor
in the increase in travel abroad.
This fact was supported by the "Indice de
Confianza del Sector Comercial (ICSC)", a
study done by the Cámara de Comercio..
The favourite destination by Costa Ricans
continues to be the United States, followed
by Panama, according to CANATUR.
American Airlines, Delta, Continental and US
Airways, for instance, all have multiple
daily direct flights to US destinations,
like Miami, Atlanta, New York and Houston.
Taca offers direct daily flights between San
José and Los Angeles and other US
destinations through its hub in El Salvador.
Copa, multiple daily flights to and from San
José and Panama and Central America and in
alliance with Continental to the US and Aero
Republica to South America.
Costa Ricans now have a multitude of ways to
get to just about every corner of the world
from San José and Liberia.
CANATUR also confirms an increase of
tourists arriving in Costa Rica.
Although the increase is slight, arrivals
between in January and February were
298.000, as compared to 285.000 and 250.000
for the same period in 2009 and 2008,
respectively.
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