Signs at Airport Will Announce Exchange Rate

THE Costa Rican Tourism Institute(ICT) plans to place an information boardin the Juan Santamaría InternationalAirport in Alajuela, northwest of SanJosé, to inform tourists of the official dollar-colón exchange rate and prevent currencyexchange booths from defraudingrecent arrivals.The exchange rates at the GlobalExchange booth in the airport, whichchanged colones for U.S. dollars at a rateof only ¢417.80 per dollar on Mondayeven though the official Central Bank ratefor that day was ¢465.06, prompted thedecision.Liliana Durán, manager of GlobalExchange, told the daily La Nación shesupports the institute’s decision, but saidher company’s clients are looking for convenience,speed and safety, not the bestrate.The tourism institute will also post theexchange rate, updated daily, on its Website, www.visitcostarica.com.The colón devalues against the dollarat a rate of ¢0.15 per day.