No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaJune was biggest month for Costa Rica visitors since pandemic began

June was biggest month for Costa Rica visitors since pandemic began

Costa Rica welcomed more than 117,000 international travelers at its airports in June, the largest single-month figure since March 2020.

The country received 117,527 arrivals last month, continuing an upward trend that has persisted through much of 2021. Each month since March 2021 has been Costa Rica’s best for international travel during the pandemic.

The United States remains the main source market for tourists to Costa Rica. In June, 94,750 U.S. Americans entered Costa Rica — representing 80% of the total for June.

Daniel Oduber Quirós Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste, had a particularly impressive month, welcoming nearly as many people in June 2021 as it did in June 2019. Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO), on the other hand, had about a 50% drop.

“These are not minor achievements; they are very significant achievements for the country,” said Gustavo Segura, Tourism Minister, in a press release.

“We are very proud to see reflected in these numbers the intense work to raise our tourism industry with the attraction of airlines, the destination promotion strategies with a limited budget, the health protocols and the excellent quality of service provided by our private sector.”

So far in 2021, Costa Rica has welcomed 362,435 people from the United States.

Nine airlines offer direct connections between Costa Rica and the United States: Delta, United, Alaska, American, JetBlue, Spirit, Sun Country (seasonally), Frontier and Southwest. All U.S.-based carriers that served Costa Rica before the pandemic have resumed service.

Tourism is one of Costa Rica’s principal economic drivers. Before the pandemic, it contributed to 8.2% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and created 9% of the nation’s jobs, according to the ICT.

The unemployment rate in Costa Rica is 17.3%, among the region’s highest.

While Costa Rica is welcoming tourists from anywhere in the world, measures related to the pandemic continue to complicate international travel. The United States, for example, requires a negative Covid-19 test before returning on a flight from abroad. And in Europe, the United Kingdom has added Costa Rica to its “red list.”

Click here to see Costa Rica’s entry requirements during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa...

Costa Rican Court Orders Release of Migrants Deported Under Trump Deal

A court on Tuesday ordered Costa Rican authorities to release foreign migrants who had been detained in a shelter after being deported under an...

Why Costa Rica Feels Like a Safe Haven for This Longtime Expat

If someone asked me to sum up why I live in Costa Rica in 5 words or less, my answer could well be: “It...

Costa Rica Hunts for Nicaraguan Hit Squad After Exile’s Assassination

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) is investigating whether a hit squad tied to Nicaragua’s Ortega-Murillo regime is targeting exiled critics on its soil....

El Salvador Slams Paris Fashion Show Inspired by Cecot Mega-Prison Inmates

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, joked on Saturday that he could send inmates from his mega-prison to France, after they were represented...

Former Costa Rican Minister Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Faces U.S. Extradition

Costa Rica’s judicial police arrested Celso Gamboa, a former security minister and Supreme Court judge, on Monday, following a U.S. request for his extradition...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
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