Costa Rica Is Back, Greener and More Intense

Costa Rica recovered 40 percent of the tourism market during the pandemic thanks to a wise strategy and sanitary protocols. The destination also achieved the recovery of airlines to 30 percent.

Cruise passengers returned as well, and the country has positioned itself well, which has helped. During the pandemic, Costa Rica's forests and beaches got a break.

They bet on forests, beaches, and beneficial wellness tourism. Today, tourism contributes 6.5 percent to the gross domestic product.

They started with the creation of natural parks, then in the 80s, they began with the recovery of forested areas, and to date, they have recovered 55 percent of the land.

An attractive model is that they have been accompanied by the private sector and, of course, the social sector. The Los Niños Cloud Forest Reserve, in the Monteverde area, was developed by U.S. children and is now private.

The Costa Rican government has a National Tourism Development Plan that is updated every five years, which has kept up the good pace in nature conservation.

In 2021, 1.3 million people visited Costa Rica, but more than 3 million were before the pandemic. The average stay is one of the longest in the world at a lengthy 12.5 nights. Costa Rica has it all, including Caribbean beaches, national parks in the interior, rural communities, volcanoes, the capital, San José, the Pacific, and the Corcovado Reserve.