If you were to ask an AI generator to depict the present state of tourism in Costa Rica in human form, you might get an image of a guy with a bruised and bloodied face leaning on a walker. Numbers are down, bad publicity is up and the golden egg is looking tarnished. Tourism passed coffee as the number one economic driver in Costa Rica back in 1999 and has become a lifeline of employment opportunity for thousands of Ticos over the years.
So it was a one-two gut punch to all involved when the tragic death of the son of a well-known former baseball player became international news, and this news was accompanied by the explanation for the delay in his autopsy– that there was a waiting list of sorts, due to all of the homicides related to the gang-fueled drug wars currently strafing various pockets of Costa Rica.
PT Barnum is credited with the quote, “All publicity is good publicity”. His idea being that even bad publicity still gets your name out there and recognized. But old PT wasn’t around in the days of instant communication, when one piece of bad news travels the world wide wire in seconds, and thousands of commentators are ready to pile on and share the negativity through the many tentacles of social media.
The autopsy waiting list explanation hit close enough to home that more than one family member up north contacted me to elaborate. Crime and insecurity are real issues to those of us living here. Between the understaffed and undertrained police force and legions of judges ready to let even verifiable violent criminals back on the streets, everybody I know has either been a victim of crime or knows someone who has been victimized.
Another issue hurting tourism is the depressed exchange rate. The dollar is presently trading at around 500 to the colon– the same rate as over a decade ago. And while inflation is at a lower rate than normal, many visitors are starting to consider other options in this part of the world. Every other country in Central America offers far more bang for the buck than here, as well as nice beaches and abundant wildlife.
Yet those in charge of the country seem a bit indifferent to the ongoing reality. Our current president is a type of populist currently in mode through much of the Americas. Like those other populists, he has a rabid cult-like following who support him unequivocally. He brushes off any questions about the low exchange rate and the negative effect it has on our number one moneymaker by citing low inflation numbers. He often seems more interested in attacking his political opponents and the press than answering any legitimate questions or offering concrete solutions to these pressing problems.
Despite the current downslide, there are reasons to believe we will bounce back. Costa Rica has a superior tourism infrastructure, a healthy number of qualified expert tour guides, and a more positive attitude toward tourists than our neighbors. We are experienced at better handling large numbers of visitors.
Sooner or later the exchange rate has to return to reality. And the passage of time serves to soften the blows. If one disadvantage of today’s rapid communication is the speed with which the world hears news, one advantage is the constant flood of information tends to quickly push that news onto the back burner, obscured by newer outrages that grab the headlines.
Costa Rica has survived bad publicity over the years, from the accidental electrocution of two tourists and a worker in a hotel swimming pool back in 1991 (the hotel is still in business today), to random assaults, robberies, and even murder. Evil and misfortune can be a threat; no place in the world that welcomes tourists is immune to this reality. Here is hoping that the rest of 2025 is better than the first three months.
