Tourism outlook positive for Holy Week

If you don´t have travel reservations for Semana Santa, you´d better act quickly. According to a study by the National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR), hotels, tour operators and car rental companies are expecting an 80.2 percent occupancy rate during Semana Santa, or Easter week, which runs from March 28 through April 4.

Using a survey sample of 61 nationwide tourism companies, CANATUR found that the expected occupancy rate for hotels is 81.9 percent, 70.6 percent for Tour Operators and 93.6 percent car rental companies. Of all reservations, 27.5 percent were made by national tourists.

“It is important to know how the tourism sector is shaping up for Semana Santa,” said Juan Carlos Ramos, the president of CANATUR. “The week has generally represented an increase in national tourists as well as foreign tourists that come to Costa Rica to enjoy vacation during this time of the year. So far, we are seeing positive results in many areas of the country.”

The study surveyed businesses throughout the country. Of the sites surveyed, CANATUR found that hotels in the central Pacific are reporting the highest expected occupancy rates at 91.6 percent. Travel companies in the Caribbean and northern parts of the Guanacaste province also reported an expected occupancy over 85 percent for the week.

Of the tourism companies surveyed, 18 percent said their tourism outlook for Semana Santa is “much better” than last year, 28 percent said it was “better” and 38 percent said it was about the same.

In 2009, tourism fell 8 percent in Costa Rica, as over 166,000 fewer tourists visited the country than in 2008.