In an effort to make tourists feel more secure in downtown San José, the Tourist Police headquarters recently moved to new facilities and added 49 police officers, two police cars, six motorcycles and ten bicycles for patrolling downtown.
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.
Some 200 representatives of tourism chambers and associations, entrepreneurs and professionals are meeting this week at the 18th National Tourism Congress to discuss key issues to improve Costa Rica's status as a popular tourist destination.
Organizers of the Planet, People and Peace Conference highlighted organic chocolatiers and an indigenous fair trade store as examples of environmentally-friendly and "sustainable" tourism.