Fantastic news for travelers: starting June 4, 2024, Southwest Airlines will commence daily non-stop service between Orlando, Florida (MCO) and San José, Costa Rica (SJO), the company announced on Thursday.
Florida stands as one of the top states with residents likely to visit Costa Rica and boasts one of the highest numbers of travelers to the country.
The flight is scheduled to leave Orlando airport at 11:30 am (U.S. time) and touch down in San Jose at 12:45 pm (local time). The return journey is slated to depart from Juan Santamaría Airport at 8:55 am, arriving in Orlando by 2:15 pm (U.S. time).
“The augmentation of flight routes, increased frequencies to Baltimore and Denver, and the inauguration of the Orlando route symbolize a significant step for tourism and connectivity in our nation. This achievement underscores the collaborative efforts between the government and AERIS to perpetually bolster tourism growth,” pointed out Ricardo Hernandez, Executive Director of AERIS Holding Costa Rica.
He further expressed gratitude towards Southwest for “placing trust in Costa Rica as a destination and thereby crafting new avenues for passengers to immerse in the pura vida experience.”
Moreover, from June 4 to August 4, 2024, Southwest plans to ramp up its service from once to twice a week (on Saturdays and Sundays) connecting U.S. cities, namely Baltimore and Denver, to San José. This is anticipated to pave the way for an influx of tourists to Costa Rica, coinciding with the onset of North America’s summer and vacation season.
“Air connectivity is pivotal in fueling the growth of our tourism sector. This development manifests the proactive initiatives we’ve undertaken at the ICT, in close collaboration with AERIS, to court airline partnerships. We’re optimistic about closing the year with nearly 2.5 million tourist arrivals, which would eclipse pre-pandemic air travel figures,” stated William Rodriguez, Minister of Tourism.
The United States remains the predominant tourist source for Costa Rica. Data reveals that between January and September of the current year, 1,095,135 U.S. tourists set foot in Costa Rica.
