No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveNicaragua announces suspension of tourist visas

Nicaragua announces suspension of tourist visas

Nicaragua´s tourism sector is celebrating the recent announcement that the government of President Daniel Ortega is going to lift all visa requirements for foreign travelers as an incentive to boost tourism here.

The announcement was made several days ago by Tourism Minister Mario Salinas during the FITUR international tourism trade fair in Spain. President Ortega is expected to sign the measure this week, according to sources at the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute (INTUR).

Once the measure is signed, all tourists – regardless of nationality – will be able to visit Nicaragua without a visa. Industry sources expect the number of Costa Rican tourists alone could double as a result of the measure.

“This is a very important accomplishment,” said Lucy Valenti, president of the Nicaraguan Tourism Chamber. She noted that when former President Arnoldo Alemán temporarily lifted tourist visa requirements for Costa Ricans in the mid 1990s, the number of Tico tourists coming to Nicaragua immediately increased by 40-50 percent.

Those numbers fell off once the visa requirement was reinstated several years later.

In addition to luring more tourists from Costa Rica, the visa suspension will also help facilitate the arrival of more tourists from Asia, several countries in South America, such as Colombia, and emerging European markets, such as Russia, Valenti said.

More established tourism markets, such as the United States, Canada, the European Union, and other CA-4 countries ( Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador ) won´t be affected by the measure, since they didn´t have tourism visa requirements in the first place.

The suspension of tourism visas will also not affect the $5 tourist card that all tourists must purchase upon entering the country.

Trending Now

Marriott Expands in Costa Rica with Adventure-Focused Hotel

Marriott is set to grow its footprint in Costa Rica by opening a new hotel in the Central Pacific area next year. The Santa...

Costa Rica Presidential Candidate Fernández Reports Spy Device

Laura Fernández, the presidential candidate for the Pueblo Soberano party, revealed on Tuesday that she discovered a concealed microphone in her personal office, raising...

Guatemalan Migrant Children Fear Deportation by Trump

At 15, I.B. fled poverty and an abusive father in Guatemala. She emigrated alone to the United States, like hundreds of children living in...

Nicaragua Alleges Costa Rican Police Tried to Detain Player

Tensions ran high at the National Stadium here in Costa Rica last night when police officers entered the Nicaraguan team's locker room moments before...

Costa Rica President Narrows Legal Abortion to Life-Saving Cases

President Rodrigo Chaves has repealed Costa Rica's therapeutic abortion protocol, a move that fulfills a long-standing promise and tightens rules around the procedure. The...

JetBlue Flash Sale: Fort Lauderdale to Liberia Flights Ends Today

Those looking for a deal on airfare and eyeing a trip between Florida and Costa Rica now have a chance to get one with...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica