No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaCosta Rica promotes Holy Week tourism with mandatory vacation

Costa Rica promotes Holy Week tourism with mandatory vacation

In an effort to reactivate Costa Rica’s tourism industry, Central Government workers will take mandatory vacations during Easter Holy Week.

The announcement came Thursday after a request from the Tourism Board and is meant to “contribute to the reactivation of the tourism sector and the chains associated with this industry in the rural and coastal communities of the country.”

“The Executive Power will apply a collective closure and grant vacations, on March 29, 30 and 31, which will be reduced from the balances of the civil servants,” said Silvia Lara, Labor Minister.

“Public institutions will take the corresponding provisions so as not to affect essential public services, as well as emergency care.”

Most Costa Rican workers also have April 1-2 off in context of the Easter holiday.

Semana Santa, or Easter Holy Week, is typically the busiest vacation week of the year in Costa Rica. Gustavo Segura, the Tourism Minister, asked Ticos to “rediscover” their country by planning vacations.

“I extend an invitation to Costa Rican families to tour Costa Rica with respect for the health measures to prevent Covid-19, because we are still in a pandemic,” Segura said.

The Tourism Minister recommended that Costa Ricans hire certified guides and transportation services in order to make a greater impact on the tourism sector.

Segura also asked tourism companies to offer deals for citizens and residents; the Tourism Board promotes discounts for locals via its Vamos a Turistear platform.

In 2020, Costa Rica applied strict mobility restrictions during Semana Santa in an effort to limit spread of Covid-19. Authorities have not yet detailed measures for Holy Week 2021, but the March restrictions allow for most commercial and tourism activities to operate.

In early March, the government said it wasn’t considering stricter measures during Semana Santa given the progression of the pandemic at the time.

Trending Now

From New Jersey Ponds to Costa Rica’s Mud Turtles: A Wildlife Story

In a weird way, stinky turtles have led to my current life as a guy in Costa Rica working in wildlife monitoring. Up until...

Honduras Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid Rise in Respiratory Illnesses

Honduran health officials have reinstated a nationwide mask mandate following a spike in respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and a fast-spreading Omicron subvariant known...

Nicaragua Places Bayardo Arce Under House Arrest Amid Power Struggle

The Nicaraguan government has placed historic Sandinista commander Bayardo Arce, economic adviser to President Daniel Ortega, under house arrest, according to exiled opposition members...

Costa Rica Fails to Meet Human Rights Standards for Deportees

The Ombudsman's Office has confirmed that Costa Rica was unprepared to provide adequate care for deportees who have entered the country since February. This...

Guatemala’s Gang War Funeral Attack Leaves 7 Dead and 13 Injured

At least seven people were killed and 13 wounded in an armed attack Tuesday night at a funeral in downtown Guatemala City, which authorities...

Costa Rica Faces Economic Blow as Intel, Pfizer, and Qorvo Announce Restructuring

Intel announced that it will shut down its chip assembly and test plant in Costa Rica, part of a broader global restructuring aimed at...
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