Tourism Sector

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Tourism Sector executives:

  • Lisette Acosta
    Lisette Acosta
    Sector lead
  • Monserrat Monge

    Monserrat Monge

    Sector Specialist
Invest with Purpose
People in meeting
Health & Wellbeing

Tourism
Infrastructure

Unparalleled natural wonders.
A welcoming business environment.

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A sustainable
year-round destination. Be our guest and business partner.

As a world leader in the Sustainable Tourism sector and with over 60 years of commitment to preserving the environment, Costa Rica has become a top destination for global travelers seeking wellness, health, relaxation, balance, connection, adventure, or business. At the heart of the Americas, flanked by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, lies an incredible area of rainforests, beaches, and wildlife. Welcome to Costa Rica: home to over 6% of the planet’s biodiversity.

We have succeeded in creating a world-class international brand in tourism, thanks to the country’s natural environment, quality of life, highly talented people, and sustainable development. Brands catering to diverse audiences have established successful operations in the country such as Four Seasons, Autograph, JW Marriott, Auberge Hotels, Andaz, IHG, Hilton, Sheraton, Barcelo, Dreams, Selina Occidental, Hampton, Wyndham, and several other leading hospitality brands.

Costa Rica offers sun, beach, jungle, mountain, adventure, ecotourism, rural tourism, business, and wellness. It provides a growing opportunity to establish your travel and tourism project to take part in one of the country's biggest economic drivers.

$3.99B
tourism exports

$3.99 billion Costa Rica tourism industry exports (prior to COVID-19). Tourism exports have been growing at an average of 6% annually for the past 20 years

12.9
nights per stay

Visitors staying the longest: 12.9 nights per stay and $1,592 spending per person on average

+3M
international arrivals

+3 million international arrivals in 2019, growing around 2.8x in the last 20 years.

+7%
Spending growth

Average spending per person has grown +7% since 2009

Top 2
on FDI Strategy

Costa Rica Ranks Top 2 on FDI Strategy for Tourism Locations of the Future 2019/2020 (FDI Intelligence, 2019)

+59%
covered in forest

Over 59% of territory covered in forests and 26% of the territory is protected. Costa Rica is the only nation globally to revert deforestation

1st
in English language

Highest performance in TOEIC & TOEFL in LATAM (ETS, 2020)

#1
most desirable

Most Desirable Country to Travel (Long Haul) for 2021

6.5%
of world's biodiversity

6.5% of the world’s biodiversity, in just 0.03% of the Earth's surface

1st
in the world

#1 in the world attractiveness of natural assets (WEF, 2019)

#2
in LATAM

Costa Rica is #2 in Latin America and 14th in the world, in the Global Green Economy Index (Dual Citizen, 2018)

4
UNESCO sites

4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites within the world's Top 20, ranking above places like Iceland, Colombia and Greece

1
of 5 Blue Zones

Costa Rica has one of five only “Blue Zones” in the globe

45
environmental treaties

45 international environmental treaties (Ministry of Foreign Trade, 2018)

5 star
hotel

A 5-star hotel, 6 four-star and 2 highlighted hotels, stand out in the list of the most luxurious of the Forbes Travel Guide 2021.

67%
of visitors from United States or Canada

Preferred vacation spot for North American travelers: 67% of visitors by air came from the U.S. and Canada (ICT, 2020)

500
diplomas in Tourism

Around 500 diplomas granted annually in Tourism on average in the last 5 years

Tourism conections
Explore Ecosystem »
W Hotels logo

The land of 'pura vida' is where the playful spirit of the W brand was born to run free. The people, the culture and the beauty of this country all meet to create a paradise unlike any other, and W Costa Rica will celebrate it all.

Anthony Ingham

Global Brand Leader, W Hotels
Four Seasons logo

Peninsula Papagayo is an extraordinary destination where rich biodiversity and vivid landscapes meet the highest levels of geo-luxury across Latin America. With our new line-up of amenities and experiences for everyone on Peninsula Papagayo to enjoy, we are nurturing a strong and cohesive community across the 1,400 acres of this private peninsula.

Donald McGregor

Senior Vice President of Development and Managing Director, Gencom Latin America
Auberge logo

As a stunning hideaway that celebrates Costa Rica's natural beauty, the purchase of Hacienda AltaGracia under Auberge Resorts brand aligns with our team's focus on acquiring exceptional hospitality assets in compelling locations across the globe. We are thrilled to purchase Hacienda Altagracia, a beloved Costa Rican property with an unparalleled setting and unique identity.

Karim Alibhai

Founder and Principal, Gencom.
Six Senses logo

We are very excited about our first project in Central America. Our own values ​​embody Costa Rica's commitment to sustainability and the essence of the Pura Vida culture.

Neil Jacobs

CEO, Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas
CCCR logo

As Grupo Heroica, administrator of the venue, we have put our global vision of the business at the disposal of the country, sharing good practices with colleagues from all over the world and we have adapted them so that the Costa Rica Convention Center continues to compete globally as far as now. Before this recession, in two years we had held more than 350 events with 290,000 attendees and this adjustment was necessary to continue on this path.

Álvaro Rojas

General Manager, Costa Rica Convention Center

Some companies growing

in Costa Rica:

Specialized service providers for Tourism Infrastructure projects:

COLBS Legal Studio, TI Enabler

COLBS, a boutique corporate law firm, focused on providing top-tier domestic and cross-border legal solutions.

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Volio y Trejos, TI Enabler

Transform Construction into your Best Experience.

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Essential Insights

Get the most out of our latest data and enrich your next investment project with our interactive charts, maps and tables

Want to become our next success story?

Tourism Infrastructure team
Lisette Acosta

Lisette Acosta

Sector lead
Monserrat Monge

Monserrat Monge

Sector Specialist
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