Flooding in recent weeks and road blockades staged by porteadores on Wednesday caused losses in the tourism sector at a time when businesses expected to profit from the mid-year school vacations.
The World Economic Forum ranked Costa Rica the fourth most tourism-ready economy in Latin America. Still, tourism sector leaders believe the country “can and should rank better.”
Tourism Ministry officials on Thursday reported that revenues from Costa Rica's travel sector last year totaled $2.6 billion, an 8.3 percent increase over the $2.4 billion registered in 2013, according to figures from the Central Bank.
Beach hotel owners were the most optimistic in the survey, reporting that they expect at least 91 percent occupancy in the Central Pacific, 89 percent occupancy in the Northern Pacific (Guanacaste), 85 percent in the Southern Pacific and 69 percent in the Caribbean.
