Recognizing the growing importance of Costa Rica as a tourist destination for Canadians, Air Canada is increasing the number of Toronto-San José flights it offers from five a week to 11.
The increase will take effect during the Canadian winter, from December 2016 to March 2017.
“Almost 90 percent of all Canadians who enter the country do so by air,” said Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura, noting that Canada is the world’s No. 2 origin of airline passengers to Costa Rica after the United States.
“For that reason, this dramatic increase in the frequency of Air Canada flights from Toronto to San José is reason for our country to celebrate,” he said in a statement.
Air Canada, which also has flights from Toronto to Liberia, Montreal to Liberia and Montreal to San José, will by flying Airbus A319 jetliners with a capacity for 136 passengers on the new flights.
Nearly 160,000 Canadians visited Costa Rica last year by air. Tourism Ministry statistics show that Canadians spend an average of 15.3 nights in the country and spend an average of $96 a day, and 34 percent of all Canadian tourists are making a repeat visit.
Air Canada is among the 20 largest airlines in the world, with flights to more than 200 airports on six continents. In 2015, it flew more than 41 million passengers.
