What’s in store for Costa Rica tourism this year? Industry pros offer insight

Casey Halloran, the CEO of Costa Rican Vacations, recently conducted a poll of some of Costa Rica’s top travel-industry professionals in order to gauge sentiment regarding Costa Rica’s prospects for 2015. The participants included owners and executives of a wide range of the industry, from hotel and tour operators to ground and air transport providers.

So what do the pros think about tourism in Costa Rica? We asked, “What do you expect in the upcoming year in Costa Rica tourism?” These are their  answers:

Hans Pfister of management firm Cayuga Sustainable Hotels said, “2015 is going to be THE year for Costa Rica to decide which tourism model to follow: the all-inclusive, branded hotel model that has all but taken over Guanacaste, or the more sustainable model of boutique hotels that add greater value to local communities. We hope it is going to the latter.”

Suresh Krishnan, founder of tour operator Desafío Adventure Company said, “Costa Rica is consistently ranked as a top adventure playground because of its unparalleled natural terrain and friendly service. We are confident going into 2015 and are launching several new high-end tours to meet growing demand.”

Jim Damalas, owner of properties in the Greentique Hotels group said, “I hope 2015 is a year of renewed commitment by the ICT to create a distinctive brand identity. I believe sustainable hospitality should become the country’s official tourism brand. The unique, nature-based experiences that are found at hotels and tours committed to sustainability is the best way for independent operators to help distinguish this country from competing destinations.”