The Cabinet Council approved several impact measures for the reactivation of the tourism sector and the economy, including the Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism 2020-2025.
The Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism (PMTS) 2020-2025 will focus on strengthening the institutional capacity of the ATP, investing in the country's tourism promotion, improving the tourism products offered by Panama and in infrastructure, maintenance and basic services.
The Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute agreed to suspend the schedules for the execution of works, to all the companies that have a development permit in the Polo Turistico Golfo de Papagayo.
The measure was taken by the authorities to mitigate the effects caused in the tourism industry by the Covid-19 pandemic, informed representatives of the program that is administered by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT).
In Guatemala, the Pacific beaches located in the stretch that goes from the Iztapa bridge to the Los Esclavos river bar, attract millionaire investments in hotels and vacation home complexes.
Oceana Resort & Conventions, which began receiving visitors in November 2019 and other more recent developments such as La Mar, Villas Cariló, El Muelle, Blanc Monterrico, among others, are some of the investments located on these beaches.
In Panama, there are plans to develop in Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Archipelago de las Perlas and Punta Chame, five lodging projects that seek to benefit from the Law on Incentives for Tourist Investments.
Law 122 of December 31, 2019, which dictates incentive rules for the promotion of tourist activities in the interior of the Republic, attracted projects for the country, for a total value of $371,843,971 in new tourist investments, to be built in areas with great tourist potential, informed the Presidency of Panama.
The international chain began to operate in the Santa Ana district of the country's capital a hotel that has 143 rooms and halls for social events.
The new Hilton Garden Inn Santa Ana, will focus on attracting clients from the international and local corporate sector, since the meeting rooms are equipped with the most advanced technology to hold meetings, trainings, seminars, among other activities.
Avianca, Jetblue, Air Canada, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Volares, KLM, British Airways, Sun Country and West Jet, are the airlines that in November and December resume their flights to and from the country.
Due to the covid-19 outbreak, Costa Rican authorities decided to close their borders, but after a strict quarantine, air transport in the country began to be reactivated.
The National Assembly approved a bill that aims to streamline the procedures for granting concessions for the development of yacht clubs and berths.
The deputies of the National Assembly approved on March 12 a new Law for the Development and Operation of Tourist Marinas that will stimulate the development of the tourism industry and encourage national and foreign investment, both public and private, in the water tourism sector, the government informed in a press release.
CIFI and BID Invest authorized a loan for West Report S.A. to develop, build and operate a hotel complex in Bocas del Toro.
The new hotel, which will have 118 rooms, several restaurants, a spa and other meeting places for its guests, will be operated under the brand name Viceroy Hotels and Resorts, reported CIFI.
In Panama, a bill was approved that will grant tax exemptions until 2025 to those who make investments in hotels and recreational activities.
On December 31st, President Cortizo sanctioned the bill that provides tax incentives to the tourism sector by modifying some of Law 80 of November 8th, 2012.
For the end of 2019, is scheduled the inauguration of Oceana Resort, a hotel complex that will offer 200 rooms and is located on the beach of Iztapa, department of Escuintla.
Oceana Resort + Conventions will be a hotel that will have a total of 22 thousand square meters of construction and will operate under the format of "all-inclusive". The building is located at kilometer 6 of the road from Iztapa to Monterrico.
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.
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.
About 153,000 visitors annually come to the country to fish for recreational purposes, and the activity generates a chain of business of about $500 million annually.
According to a study conducted by the Costa Rican Fishing Federation (Fecop), most of the income reported in the country by sport and tourist fishing derives from the arrival of tourists interested in the activity, who generate annual revenues of $460 million.
The Canyon Group plans to invest more than $200 million in the construction of its first resort in Central America, which will be on the Papagayo Peninsula in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Without specifying the start date of construction of the new resort, which will be part of the brand of hotels "Six Senses", the developers of the project reported that the hotel is expected to be ready in mid 2021.