During the first semester of 2019, foreign tourists in Costa Rica spent $2,228 million, exceeding by 3.8% what was reported in the same period of 2018.
Data from the Central Bank of Costa Rica indicate that between January and June 2018 and the same period in 2019, tourist spending increased by $81 million, from $2,147 million to $2,229 million.
Authorities report that during 2018 arrived in the country 1.4 million visitors, a figure that is 28% lower than the 1.9 million recorded in 2017, a decline explained by the social and political crisis that the country is going through since April last year.
With several months in arrears, the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism published the report on the country's tourism situation, which reflects that after the sector came growing steadily, during 2018 collapsed because of the crisis.
The Guatemalan government's decision to extend until November the State of Siege in six departments and add municipalities of Sololá, generates concern among tourism businessmen.
On September 4, the State of Siege was decreed in 22 municipalities in the departments of Izabal, Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Zacapa, El Progreso, and Petén, following the death of three members of the Army at the hands of alleged drug traffickers in the village of Semuy II, in El Estor, Izabal.
In the 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala fell back in the ranking, while the Dominican Republic was the only country that improved.
According to the report prepared by the World Economic Forum, during 2019 Costa Rica ranked 41 out of 140 countries. It was followed by Panama at box 47, the Dominican Republic at 73, Nicaragua at 91, Honduras at 94, Guatemala at 99 and El Salvador at 108.
In the last decade, the number of hotel rooms in Costa Rica has increased at a 4% average annual rate, and in 2018 Guanacaste was the area that concentrated a quarter of the hotel offer, monopolizing about 26% of the total.
Figures from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) detail that between 2008 and 2018 the number of rooms dedicated to lodging increased by 15,474, from 41,759 to 57,233.
With the legal framework approved in Costa Rica, which regulates the provision of tourist rental services in housing through digital platforms, Airbnb executives anticipate a considerable drop in the number of hosts in the country.
On September 5, the Legislative Assembly reported that file 20865, the framework law for the regulation of non-traditional hosting and its intermediation through digital platforms, was approved for the second debate.
During July of this year, 591,348 tourists arrived in the country, 11% less than the figure reported in the same month of 2018.
Regarding the case of the arrival of non-resident passengers to the Dominican Republic (foreigners and Dominicans) in July 2019, it is observed that the same was 591,348 visitors, which meant a reduction of 74,321 passengers compared to the same month in 2018, informed the Central Bank.
In Costa Rica, the bill to regulate the provision of tourist rental services in housing through digital platforms, which includes a 13% tax and would require suppliers to register, which would make this accommodation option more expensive.
The deputies approved in their first debate, file No. 20,865 Framework Law for the regulation of non-traditional hosting and its intermediation through digital platforms, reported the Assembly on August 28.
Although in the cosmetic surgery business the Costa Rican market maintains its attractiveness for foreign clients, in other countries procedures of similar quality are offered, but at lower prices.
Some of the main competitors include Mexico, India, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic, but Costa Rica's main difficulty in competing with these markets is its high operating cost.
During the first half of the year, 1.73 million visitors arrived in Costa Rica, a figure 3.9% higher than that reported in the same period in 2018, behavior that is explained by the rise in the arrival of tourists from North America.
Figures from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute specify that only during June of this year, the arrival of 249 thousand visitors was registered, 11% more than those reported in the same month of 2018.
During the first quarter of 2019, tourism revenues totaled $113 million, 56% less than reported in the same period of 2018, because of the crisis that the country has been going through for more than a year.
According to figures from the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN), between the first quarter of 2018 and the same period of 2019, tourismrevenues decreased by $143 million, from $256 million to $113 million.
From January to June of this year, 3.57 million tourists arrived in the Dominican Republic, 4% more than the figure reported for the same period in 2018.
In the January-June period of this year, 64% of visitors arrived from North America, 21% from Europe, 12% from South America, 4% from Central America and the Caribbean and the remaining 0.3% from Asia and the rest of the world, reported the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD).
In Costa Rica, exporters and businessmen of the tourism sector are concerned about the decreasing trend that in recent months has reported the exchange rate, which on July 18 was quoted at ¢575.7 per dollar.
Official figures report that between early February and mid-July of this year, there has been a fall of up to 38 colones per dollar, as the average rate in the Monex wholesale market fell from ¢613.87 to ¢575.69.
Starting November 2, the low-costairline Wingo will begin operating four weekly frequencies between Panama City and Havana, Cuba.
The company reported that flights will depart from Panama Pacifico International Airport (BLB) at 12:53pm and arrive at Havana's José Martí International Airport (HAV) at 3:28 pm, and flights from the island depart at 4:28 pm and arrive in Panama City at 7:18pm.
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