It is estimated that foreigners visiting the country to practice this sport stay an average of 17 days and spend $122 a day.
Ranking as the third best surfing destination in the world after Hawaii and Indonesia, Costa Rica attracts an average of 400,000 foreign surfers every year. The sporting conditions on offer at the beaches have been exploited by tourism companies, which together with the authorities carry out promotions internationally in order to promote this niche tourism market.
The Panamanian Tourism Authority (PTA) will promote the country to make it an international surfing spot.
Salomón Shamah, PTA administrator, commented: "...this activity does not only generate a lot of international attention, but also drives many tourists. Surfers... are high quality tourists, aware of the enviroment".
"... Copa Airlines has launched a special program for surfers flying to Panama from some locations in the U.S., Brazil, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, in which surfers can bring two surfing boards for free", reports Prensa.com.
From July 31 to August 9, Billabong's World Surfing Games Costa Rica 2009 will gather participants from 40 countries in Jacó.
Organizers of the event are expecting the visit of at least 200.000 persons, and 80 million Internet viewers.
"Costa Rica was chosen to host ahead of countries like Brazil and South Africa", published Elfinancierocr.com. "One of the reasons for the selection is its organization, since they have participated in all previous surf world cups with full teams".
From August 1 – 8, the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games will take place in Playa Hermosa, Jacó.
The World Championship Billabong ISA World Surfing Games is the first event of this caliber to be developed in a Central American country.
The president of the Costa Rican Surfing Federation, José Ureña, said that one of the biggest challenges that the organization is facing is contributing to the development of the sport in Costa Rica and promoting the country as a tourist destination.
The International Surfing Association (ISA) announced that next year's World Surfing Championships will be held at Hermosa Beach in Jaco (Central Pacific).
The games are scheduled for July 31st through August 8th 2009.
Surf related tourism in Costa Rica currently represents 20% of tourist arrivals. According to information from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), almost 200,000 surfers visited the country in 2007.