Tourism in Costa Rica - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Tourism in Costa Rica is one of the fastest growing economic sectors of the country and by 1995 became the largest foreign exchange earner. Since 1999, tourism earns more foreign exchange than bananas, pineapples and coffee exports combined. The tourism boom began in 1987, with the number of visitors up from 329,000 in 1988, through 1.03 million in 1999, to a historical record of 2.1 million foreign visitors in 2010. In 2010 tourism contributed with 5.5% of the country's GDP and 21.2% of foreign exchange generated by all exports. In 2009 tourism attracted 17% of foreign direct investment

Foreign direct investment

Foreign direct investment or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.. It is the sum of equity capital,other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in...

inflows, and 13% in average between 2000 and 2009; it was responsible for 13.3% of direct and indirect employment in 2005, and according to a 2007 report by ECLAC

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean was established in 1948 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. In 1984, a resolution was passed to include the countries of the Caribbean in the name...

, tourism contributed to a reduction in poverty of 3% in the country.

Since the late 1980s Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

became a popular nature travel destination, and its main competitive advantage is its well-established system of national parks and protected area

Protected area

Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...

s, covering around 23.4% of the country's land area, the largest in the world as a percentage of the country's territory, and home to a rich variety of flora

Flora

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...

and fauna

Fauna

Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...

, in a country that has only 0.03% of the world's landmass, but that is estimated to contain 5% of the world's biodiversity

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

. The country also has plenty of beaches, both in the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

and the Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

, within short travel distances, and also several volcano

Volcano

2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

es that can be visited with safety. By the early 1990s, Costa Rica became known as the poster child

Poster child

A poster child is a child afflicted by some disease or deformity whose picture is used on posters or other media as part of a campaign to raise money or enlist volunteers for a cause or organization...

of ecotourism

Ecotourism

Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...

, with tourist arrivals reaching an average annual growth rate of 14% between 1986 to 1994. According to the Costa Rican Tourism Board

Costa Rican Tourism Board

The Costa Rican Tourism Board is the government agency responsible for promoting sustainable tourism in Costa Rica. Originally the agency was created by decree in 1931 as the National Tourism Board, and by a law approved on August 9 of 1955 the agency became the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo...

, 46% of international tourists visiting the country in 2009 engaged in activities related to ecotuorism, which includes trekking

Backpacking (wilderness)

Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...

, flora, fauna, and bird watching, and visits to rural communities

Rural tourism

Rural tourism focuses on participating in a rural lifestyle. It can be a variant of ecotourism. Any village can be a tourist attraction, and many villagers are very hospitable. Agriculture is becoming highly mechanized and therefore requires less manual labor...

. However, most visitors look for adventure activities.

Description and key statistics

International tourist arrivals
1988-2010
Year	\|Year	\|Year	\|Receipts USD million
1988	329	1996	781	2004	1,453	1,358
1989	376	1997	811	2005	1,679	1,570
1990	435	1998	943	2006	1,725	1,732
1991	504	1999	1,032	2007	1,973	1,974
1992	611	2000	1,088	2008	2,089	2,144
1993	684	2001	1,131	2009	1,923	2,075
1994	762	2002	1,113	2010	2,100	2,111
1995	785	2003	1,239

Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 2.1 million foreign visitors in 2010, followed by Panama with 1.3 million, and Guatemala with 1.2 million visitors. The number of tourists visiting Costa Rica surpassed the 2 million landmark in 2008, and tourist-related income reached US$ 2.1 billion that year. As a result of the global economic crisis, international arrivals began falling since August 2008, as the number of U.S. citizens visiting the country shrank, and this market segment represented 54% of all foreign tourists visiting Costa Rica. The combined effect of the economic crisis and the 2009 flu pandemic

2009 flu pandemic in Costa Rica

In March and April 2009, an outbreak of a new strain of flu , popularly known as swine flu was discovered to have infected several people in Mexico and the states of California and Texas in the United States. On April 28 Costa Rica became the first Central American country to report the outbreak of...

resulted in reduction of tourists arrivals in 2009 to 1.9 million visitors, an 8 percent reduction as compared to 2008. In 2010 the number of visitors rose to 2.1 million, barely exceeding the previous peak reached in 2008.

In terms of 2011 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index

Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report

The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published in 2007 by the World Economic Forum. The 2007 report covered 124 major and emerging economies. The 2008 report covered 130 countries,, the 2009 report expanded to 133 countries, and the 2011 report to 139 countries...

(TTCI), Costa Rica reached the 44th place in the world ranking, classified as the second most competitive among Latin American countries after Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, and ranking fifth in the Americas

Americas

The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

. Just considering the subindex measuring human, cultural, and natural resources, Costa Rica ranks in the 33rd place at a worldwide level, and 6th when considering just the natural resources criteria. The TTCI report also notes Costa Rica's main weaknesses, limited number of cultural sites (104th), time required to start a business (125th), poor condition of ground transport infrastructure (111th), and poor quality of port infrastructure (132nd).

In 2010 most visitors came from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

(39.6%), Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...

(20.4%), Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

(5.7%), Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

(3.7%), and Mexico

Mexico

(2.6%). Tourists from North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

and Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an countries made up 61% of all international visitors, and visitors from Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

represented 30.2%. According to a 2006 survey, visitors from the Caribbean Basin

Caribbean Basin

The Caribbean Basin is generally defined as the area running from Florida westward along the Gulf coast, then south along the Mexican coast through Central America and then eastward across the northern coast of South America. This region includes the islands of the archipelago of the West Indies...

and South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

travel to Costa Rica mainly for business or professional purposes, while a majority of Americans, Canadians and Europeans visit the country for leisure. Word of mouth from friends and family, with an average of 58%, was the leading reason for visiting Costa Rica for vacations and leisure. The main visitor's complaint is the poor condition of the roads.

Top 20 visitor arrivals by country of origin in 2010
Ranking	Country of origin	Visitor arrivals 2010	% Total arrivals	Ranking	Country of origin	Visitor arrivals 2010	% Total arrivals
1		830,993	39.6	11		34,745	1.7
2		427,362	20.4	12		34,043	1.6
3		119,654	5.7	13		32,999	1.6
4		77,918	3.7	14		26,373	1.3
5		54,662	2.6	15		24,586	1.2
6		53,669	2.6	16		20,080	1.0
7		48,682	2.3	17		19,658	0.9
8		48,492	2.3	18		14,336	0.7
9		44,539	2.1	19		13,306	0.6
10		35,266	1.7	20		13,121	0.6
Visitor arrivals by region of origin in 2010 (Top 4)
1	North America North America North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...	1,005,309	47.9	3	Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...	277,412	13.2
2	Central America Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...	642,517	30.6	4	South America South America South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...	119,167	5.7

Comparative performance in the Latin American market

The following table presents a comparison of Costa Rica's tourism industry performance with selected countries from the Caribbean Basin

Caribbean Basin

and South America

South America

, including Bahamas, Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, and several of the top ten Latin American countries according to their 2011 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI)

Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report

, which are competitors in the nature travel market segment.

Selected Caribbean Caribbean The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north... and Latin America Latin America Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area... n countries	Internl. tourist arrivals 2010 (x1000)	Internl. tourism receipts 2010 (million USD)	Receipts per arrival 2010 (col 2)/(col 1) (USD)	Arrivals per capita per 1000 pop. (estimated) 2007	Receipts per capita 2005 USD	Revenues as % of exports goods and services 2003	Tourism revenues as % GDP 2003	% Direct & indirect employment in tourism 2005	World Ranking Tourism Compet. TTCI Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published in 2007 by the World Economic Forum. The 2007 report covered 124 major and emerging economies. The 2008 report covered 130 countries,, the 2009 report expanded to 133 countries, and the 2011 report to 139 countries... 2011	Index value TTCI Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published in 2007 by the World Economic Forum. The 2007 report covered 124 major and emerging economies. The 2008 report covered 130 countries,, the 2009 report expanded to 133 countries, and the 2011 report to 139 countries... 2011
	1,368	2,059	1,505	4,616	6,288	74.6	34.1	68.7	n/d	n/d
	532	1,105	2,077	1,956	2,749	58.5	29.2	55.3	28	4.84
	5,161	5,919	1,147	26	18	3.2	0.5	7.0	52	4.36
	2,766	1,636	591	151	73	5.3	1.9	6.8	57	4.27
	2,100	2,111	1,005	442	343	17.5	8.1	13.3	44	4.43
	2,507	n/d	n/d	188	169	n/d	n/d	n/d	n/d	n/d
	4,125	4,240	1,028	408	353	36.2	18.8	19.8	72	3.99
	1,922	1,986	1,033	628	530	49.2	21.6	31.9	65	4.12
	22,395	11,872	530	201	103	5.7	1.6	14.2	43	4.43
	1,317	1,676	1,273	330	211	10.6	6.3	12.9	56	4.30
	2,299	2,274	989	65	41	9.0	1.6	7.6	69	4.04

Notes: Green shadow denotes the country with the top indicator. Yellow shadow corresponds to Costa Rica's.

Ecotourism

Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...

is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected area

Protected area

s around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism. As of 2006, a total of 54% international tourists visited national parks or protected areas, visiting at least two such natural refuges, and it goes up to three for European visitors.

In recent years, several of its top travel service providers have been internationally recognized for their commitment to planet-positive tourism. Examples include Nature Air

Nature Air

Nature Air is an airline based in San José, Costa Rica. It operates scheduled international and domestic services, as well as regional charter services. Its main base is Tobías Bolaños International Airport, San José...

and Hotel Punta Islita as winners of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, sponsored by the World Travel and Tourism Council

World Travel and Tourism Council

The World Travel & Tourism Council was conceptualized in the early 1980s when a group of CEOs came to the realization that although Travel & Tourism was the largest service industry in the world and the biggest provider of jobs, nobody knew it...

(WTTC), and Lapa Rios Ecolodge as winner of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Standard-Setter.

The "Bandera Azul" Program

Implemented in 1996 and inspired in a similar program developed in Europe

Europe

in 1985, the "Bandera Azul Ecológica" (Ecological Blue Flag) Program is intended to promote development while curbing the negative impacts of mass tourism by helping the local community to work against pollution and protecting the environment. The program evaluates the environmental quality of coastal areas, in terms of the quality of the beaches and sea water, access and quality of drinking water, water and waste management, security, and environmental education. Depending on the degree of compliance against the optimal criteria established, a certain number of stars are awarded to the Blue Flag. After the first evaluation, ten beaches were awarded the distinction, which usually is highly publicized to potential visitors. In 2008, based on the evaluation carried out in 2007, 59 beaches kept the distinction while eight beaches lost it. In 2009, out of 81 applicants, only 61 beaches won the distinction, and just two obtained the maximum 5 stars, Playa Blanca in Punta Leona and Playa Langosta in Santa Cruz.

Voluntary Certification Program

Developed in 1997 by the Costa Rican Tourism Board

Costa Rican Tourism Board

, the public agency responsible for tourism development and regulation in the country, a voluntary Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (known as CST) was introduced in order to turn "the concept of sustainability into something real" by "improving the way in which the natural and social resources are utilized, to motivate the active participation of the local communities, and to support the competitiveness of the business sector." The program was aimed for all types of businesses in the tourism industry, but it began only with lodging providers. By 2007, a total of 108 parameters are considered for the CST evaluation. As of October 2009, out of approximately 3,000 hotels and tours operators, only 105 have a Certification for Sustainable Tourism. Some tour operators in the U.S. and Europe promote several small hotels that hold this certification through their travel packages.

Ethical Traveler Destination

Costa Rica was included in the 2010/2011 list of "The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations." This is an annual ranking produced by Ethical Traveler magazine, which is based on a study of developing nations from around the world to identify the best tourism destinations among them. The benchmarking uses categories such as environmental protection, social welfare, and human rights.

Costa Rica was absent from the list for several years because World Vision

World Vision

World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...

considered the country among the world's most notorious destinations for sexual predators. Even though the problem has not completely disappeared, Ethical Traveler included Costa Rica back on the 2011 list of ethical destinations due to the government's serious efforts to address human trafficking

Human trafficking

Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...

through increased public awareness campaigns, creating a new office devoted to human trafficking, and training officials.

Beaches and adventure

Most of the main attractions are nature related, a combination of ecotourism

Ecotourism

Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...

with leisure

Leisure

Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....

and adventure activities: sun, sea and sand (55%); flora

Flora

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...

and wildlife

Wildlife tourism

Wildlife tourism can be an eco and animal friendly tourism, usually showing animals in their natural habitat. Wildlife tourism, in its simplest sense, is watching wild animals in their natural habitat...

watching (44%); visiting volcano

Volcano

2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

es (43%); trekking

Backpacking (wilderness)

Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...

(41%); bird watching (30%); canopy

Canopy (forest)

In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant community or crop, formed by plant crowns.For forests, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms .Sometimes the term canopy is used to refer to the extent...

tours (26%);bungee jumping

Bungee jumping

Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...

from bridges (11%); surfing

Surfing

Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

(11%); snorkeling

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn...

(10%); and rafting

Rafting

Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...

(7%). Cultural activities such as visiting museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

s, art galleries

Art gallery

An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...

and theaters corresponds to 11%, and business travel

Business travel

Business travel is the practice of people traveling for purposes related to their work. It is on the rise especially with foreign business markets opening up...

corresponds to 17%.

National Parks and Biological Reserves

In 2009 more than 1.2 million tourists visited national parks and protected wild reserves, up from 812 thousand visitors in 2000 and 510 thousand in 1990. Since 2003 slightly more than half the visitors are international tourists. The most visited parks are Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio National Park, in Spanish the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, is a small National Park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas, and from the national capital of San José...

, Tortuguero

Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero National Park is a National Park within the Tortuguero Conservation Area. The reserve is also included in the Humedal Caribe Noreste, a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The park is located in the Limón Province of northeastern Costa Rica...

, Cahuita

Cahuita National Park

Cahuita National Park is a national park in the Caribbean La Amistad Conservation Area of Costa Rica located on the southern Caribbean coast in Limón Province, connected to the town of Cahuita...

, and the parks around the volcanoes Poás

Poás Volcano National Park

Poás Volcano National Park, in Spanish , is a National Park that covers an area of approximately ; the summit is . One of the attractive features about Poás is that you can get all the way to the edge of the crater...

, Arenal

Arenal Volcano National Park

Arenal Volcano National Park is a Costa Rican national park in the central part of the country, forming the Arenal Tilaran Conservation Area. The park encompasses the Arenal Volcano, the most active in the country, which had previously been believed to be dormant until a major eruption in 1968...

and Irazú

Irazú Volcano National Park

Irazú Volcano National Park, or in Spanish the ', is a National Park in the Central Volcanic Conservation Area of Costa Rica that encompasses the area around the Irazú Volcano in Cartago Province which incorporates what used to be the Ruben Torres Rojas Forest Reserve now called the Prusia Forest...

.

Other favorite national parks and wild reserves are:

Cocos Island
Cocos Island
Cocos Island is an uninhabited island located off the shore of Costa Rica . It constitutes the 11th district of Puntarenas Canton of the province of Puntarenas. It is one of the National Parks of Costa Rica...

, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and among the final top 77 nominees in the contest to choose the world's New 7 Wonders of Nature
Natural 7 Wonders
New7Wonders of Nature was an initiative started in 2007 to create a list of seven natural wonders chosen by people through a global poll. It was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the New7Wonders Foundation, a Swiss-based, government-controlled foundation...

.
Area de Conservación Guanacaste
Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site
The Area de Conservación Guanacaste, is a World Heritage Site in the northwestern part of Costa Rica, which comprises Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, Rincón de la Vieja National Parks and the Junquillal Bay Wildlife Refuge...

, UNESCO World Heritage Site,
La Amistad International Park
La Amistad International Park
The La Amistad International Park, or in Spanish , formerly the La Amistad National Park, is an Transboundary Protected Area in Latin America, management of which is shared between Costa Rica and Panama, following a recommendation by UNESCO after the park's inclusion in the World Heritage Site...

, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Border Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

-Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
Corcovado National Park
Corcovado National Park
Corcovado National Park is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula in the South West of Costa Rica , which is part of the Osa Conservation Area. It was established on 24 October 1975, and encompasses an area of 425 km² . It is widely considered the crown jewel in the extensive system of national...
Chirripó National Park
Chirripó National Park
Chirripó National Park is located in the middle portion of the Talamanca Range of Costa Rica, approximately 30 km northeast from the city of San Isidro del General. It protects a number of important ecosystems on the Costa Rican Pacific slope and is notable for including the largest extension...
Tapantí National Park
Tapantí National Park
Tapantí National Park, sometimes called Orosí National Park, is a National Park in the Pacific La Amistad Conservation Area of Costa Rica located on the edge of the Talamanca Range, near Cartago. It protects forests to the north of Chirripó National Park, and also contains part of the Orosí River...
Braulio Carrillo National Park
Braulio Carrillo National Park
Braulio Carrillo National Park is a National Park of the Volcanic Cordillera Conservation Area in Costa Rica located on the eastern edge of the central volcanic corridor between San José and Puerto Limón. It is accessible from the Limon Highway, which bisects the park running roughly east-west,...
La Selva Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies
Organization for Tropical Studies
The Organization for Tropical Studies is a network of ecological research stations created in Costa Rica in 1963. OTS is run by a non-profit consortium of 63 universities, based in the United States, Australia and Latin America . The corporate headquarters of OTS are at Duke University, in...

(private reserve)
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde
The Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde is a Costa Rican reserve located along the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range within the Puntarenas and Alajuela provinces...

, Monteverde
Monteverde
Monteverde, Costa Rica is a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Located in the Cordillera de Tilarán, roughly a four hour drive from the Central Valley of Costa Rica, Monteverde is considered a major ecotourism destination in Costa Rica...

, Puntarenas
Puntarenas
Puntarenas is the capital and largest city in the province Puntarenas, Costa Rica, at the Pacific coast. The eponymous and oddly shaped province has its largest section in the South, far from the capital.Some 100,000 live in the city and close towns...

(private reserve)

Volcanoes

Poás Volcano
Poás Volcano
The Poás Volcano, in Spanish Volcán Poás, is an active stratovolcano in central Costa Rica. Poás has erupted 39 times since 1828.- Crater lakes :...

at Poas Volcano National Park
Poás Volcano National Park
Poás Volcano National Park, in Spanish , is a National Park that covers an area of approximately ; the summit is . One of the attractive features about Poás is that you can get all the way to the edge of the crater...

, Alajuela
Alajuela
Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica after the capital, San José. It is also the capital of the namesake province. Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley, Alajuela is nowadays englobed in the conurbation of Great Metropolitan Area...

.
Irazú Volcano
Irazú Volcano
The Irazú Volcano is an active volcano in Costa Rica, situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago.The name could come from either the combination of "ara" and "tzu" or a corruption of Iztarú, which was the name of an indigenous village on the flanks of the volcano...

at Irazu National Park, Cartago
Cartago, Costa Rica
- See also :* Cartago Agrarian Union Party* Provincial Integration Party Three* Cartago in Spanish...

.
Arenal Volcano
Arenal Volcano
Arenal Volcano, in Spanish , is an active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around 90 km northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna....

at Arenal National Park, Alajuela
Alajuela
Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica after the capital, San José. It is also the capital of the namesake province. Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley, Alajuela is nowadays englobed in the conurbation of Great Metropolitan Area...

.
Turrialba Volcano
Turrialba Volcano
Turrialba Volcano was named after the region of Costa Rica in which the volcano is situated in Turrialba County, Cartago of Costa Rica. There is no clear consensus on the origin of the name Turrialba, but historians disagree with attempts to attribute the name to the patronym Torrealba or from...

, at Turrialba Volcano National Park
Turrialba Volcano National Park
Turrialba Volcano National Park, or in Spanish the ' is a National Park in the Central Volcanic Conservation Area of Costa Rica that encompasses the area around the Turrialba Volcano in Cartago Province...

, Cartago
Cartago, Costa Rica
- See also :* Cartago Agrarian Union Party* Provincial Integration Party Three* Cartago in Spanish...

.
Tenorio Volcano National Park
Tenorio Volcano National Park
Tenorio Volcano National Park is a National Park in the northern part of Costa Rica, which forms part of the Arenal Tilaran Conservation Area. The jewel of the National Park is the volcano, from which it receives its name...

, where the popular Rio Celeste (Light Blue River) is located, Guanacaste
Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province. It is the most sparsely populated of all the...

.
Rincón de la Vieja at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park
Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park
Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park, in Spanish , part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area and the Area de Conservación Guanacaste World Heritage Site, is a National Park in the northwestern part of Costa Rica which encompasses the Rincón de la Vieja and Santa María volcanoes, as well as the...

, Guanacaste
Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province. It is the most sparsely populated of all the...

.

Beaches

See List of beaches of Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio Beach at Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park, in Spanish the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, is a small National Park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas, and from the national capital of San José...

, was listed by Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...

in 2011 among the world's 12 most beautiful national parks.
Cahuita Beach
Cahuita
Cahuita is a small city located on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Cahuita is located in the Talamanca Canton of Limón Province. Cahuita is the capital of the Cahuita District. Due to its proximity to the Caribbean shoreline, Cahuita is renowned for Afro-Caribbean influence on dining and local...

at Cahuita National Park
Cahuita National Park
Cahuita National Park is a national park in the Caribbean La Amistad Conservation Area of Costa Rica located on the southern Caribbean coast in Limón Province, connected to the town of Cahuita...

, Limón
Limón
Puerto Limón, commonly known as Limón , is the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the cantón of Limón in Costa Rica. It has a population of about 60,000 , and is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community...
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a coastal town in the Talamanca Canton in Limón Province. The town is located in southeastern Costa Rica. Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is known simply as Puerto Viejo to locals. A town in northeastern Costa Rica is also commonly known as Puerto Viejo; this fact can confuse...

, Limón
Limón Province
Limón is one of seven provinces in Costa Rica. The majority of its territory is situated in the country's Caribbean lowlands, though the southwestern portion houses part of an extensive mountain range known as the Cordillera de Talamanca...
Manzanillo Beach, Limón
Limón
Puerto Limón, commonly known as Limón , is the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the cantón of Limón in Costa Rica. It has a population of about 60,000 , and is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community...
Gandoca Beach, Limón
Limón
Puerto Limón, commonly known as Limón , is the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the cantón of Limón in Costa Rica. It has a population of about 60,000 , and is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community...
Tamarindo Beach
Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Tamarindo is a town and distrito located on the Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Province of Guanacaste. The district has a population of 3,525, although the town itself is about 500. But it can swell to 5,000 people or more during the tourist season and during special holidays...

, Guanacaste
Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province. It is the most sparsely populated of all the...
Playa Junquillal, Guanacaste
Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province. It is the most sparsely populated of all the...
Flamingo Beach, Guanacaste
Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province. It is the most sparsely populated of all the...
Conchal Beach, Guanacaste
Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province. It is the most sparsely populated of all the...
Jaco Beach
Jaco, Costa Rica
Jacó is a coastal city, in the county of Garabito in Costa Rica's Puntarenas province. Located in the Central Pacific Region, on the pacific coast of Costa Rica. Jacó is approximately one hour by car from San José and Costa Rica's primary International Airport . Manuel Antonio National Park is...

, Puntarenas
Puntarenas Province
Puntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...
Herradura Beach
Playa Herradura, Costa Rica
Playa Herradura is a coastal town on the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica, located about north of Jacó. Playa Herradura or Herradura Beach is home to the Los Suenos Resort and Marina and is globally known as the Fishing Capital of Costa Rica playing home to Costa Rica's only full service five star...

, Puntarenas
Puntarenas Province
Puntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...
Montezuma Beach
Montezuma, Costa Rica
Montezuma is a town in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica which began as a remote fishing village and has gained popularity since the 1980s among tourists on a budget....

, Puntarenas
Puntarenas Province
Puntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...
Zancudo Beach
Playa Zancudo
Playa Zancudo is a village in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica near the Golfo Dulce. It has a population of approximately 450.-Geography:It is located 9.5 kilometers south of Golfito. Zancudo is located on a long and narrow peninsula, sometime only 100 yards wide, at the mouth of the Rio Colorado...

, Puntarenas
Puntarenas Province
Puntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...

Seven Natural Wonders of Costa Rica

Elected in 2007 by Costa Ricans through an open contest organized by a leading newspaper as the 7 natural wonders of Costa Rica, these natural sites are among the most popular destinations by both foreign and domestic tourists, with the exception of Cocos Island

Cocos Island

Cocos Island is an uninhabited island located off the shore of Costa Rica . It constitutes the 11th district of Puntarenas Canton of the province of Puntarenas. It is one of the National Parks of Costa Rica...

, which it is not easily accessed, because it is located in the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

, approximately 550 km (340 mi) from the Pacific shore of Costa Rica.

Ranking	7 natural wonders of Costa Rica
1	Cocos Island Cocos Island Cocos Island is an uninhabited island located off the shore of Costa Rica . It constitutes the 11th district of Puntarenas Canton of the province of Puntarenas. It is one of the National Parks of Costa Rica...
2	Arenal Volcano Arenal Volcano Arenal Volcano, in Spanish , is an active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around 90 km northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna....
3	Chirripo Mountain Cerro Chirripó Cerro Chirripó is the highest mountain in Costa Rica, with an altitude of . It is located in the Chirripó National Park and is noted for its ecological wealth. The high peaks in this and La Amistad International Park host important areas of Talamancan montane forest and Costa Rican Páramo with high...
4	Celeste River Celeste River Celeste River is a river in Tenorio Volcano National Park of Costa Rica. It is notable for its distinctive turquoise coloration, a phenomenon caused by a chemical reaction between sulfur and calcium carbonate. -External links:* *...
5	Tortuguero Canals Tortuguero National Park Tortuguero National Park is a National Park within the Tortuguero Conservation Area. The reserve is also included in the Humedal Caribe Noreste, a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The park is located in the Limón Province of northeastern Costa Rica...
6	Poás Volcano Poás Volcano The Poás Volcano, in Spanish Volcán Poás, is an active stratovolcano in central Costa Rica. Poás has erupted 39 times since 1828.- Crater lakes :...
7	Monteverde Reserve

Other activities and popular destinations

Sarchí
Sarchí
Sarchí is the capital city of the canton of Valverde Vega also known as Sarchí in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica.The district of Sarchí covers an area of 15.11 km² , including the central area of the city. It has a population of 6,912...

, Alajuela
Alajuela
Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica after the capital, San José. It is also the capital of the namesake province. Because of its location in the Costa Rican Central Valley, Alajuela is nowadays englobed in the conurbation of Great Metropolitan Area...

, for shopping souvenir
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...

s and typical products, including the popular Costa Rican ox carts.
INBioparque, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad
Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad
The Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad is the national institute for biodiversity and conservation in Costa Rica. Created at the end of the 1980s, and despite having national status, it is a privately-run institution that works closely with various government agencies, universities, business...

, Santo Domingo de Heredia.
Lancaster Botanical Garden, Cartago
Cartago, Costa Rica
- See also :* Cartago Agrarian Union Party* Provincial Integration Party Three* Cartago in Spanish...

.
Orosí Colonial Church and Ujarrás historical site
Ujarrás
Ujarrás is a village and historical site in the Orosí Valley of Cartago Province in central Costa Rica, southeast of the provincial capital of Cartago. It lies near the northeastern bank of the man-made Lake Cachí, created by the damming of the Reventazon River. The dam lies adjacent to the village...

, Cartago
Cartago, Costa Rica
- See also :* Cartago Agrarian Union Party* Provincial Integration Party Three* Cartago in Spanish...

.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles, (Church of Our Lady of Los Angeles), Cartago
Cartago, Costa Rica
- See also :* Cartago Agrarian Union Party* Provincial Integration Party Three* Cartago in Spanish...

.
Guayabo arqueologichal site, Turrialba, Cartago
Cartago, Costa Rica
- See also :* Cartago Agrarian Union Party* Provincial Integration Party Three* Cartago in Spanish...

.
Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica
Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica
The National Theatre of Costa Rica is the national theatre of Costa Rica. It is located in the central section of San José, Costa Rica. Construction began in 1891, and it opened to the public on 21 October 1897 with a performance of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust.The National Theatre stood as...

(National Theater), San José.
Teatro Popular Melico Salazar (Popular Theater), San José.
Centro Nacional de Arte y Cultura (National Center of Arts and Culture), San José.
Museo Nacional de Costa Rica
Museo Nacional de Costa Rica
The Museo Nacional de Costa Rica is the national museum of Costa Rica, located in the capital of San José. It is located at Calle 17, between Central and Second Avenue, Cuesta de Moras, in the Bellavista Fortress, a crenallated, ochre colored building opposite the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica...

(National Museum), San José.
Museo de Oro de Costa Rica Precolombino
Pre-Columbian Gold Museum
The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum is a museum in San José, Costa Rica. It is located in a subterranean building underneath the Plaza de la cultura and is managed by the Banco Central de Costa Rica...

(Pre-Columbian Gold Museum), Central Bank of Costa Rica
Central Bank of Costa Rica
The Central Bank of Costa Rica is the central bank of Costa Rica. Being a central bank recognized by the Costa Rican society and the international community for its efficiency, transparency and credibility in keeping inflation low and stable....

, San José.
Museo de Jade
Museo del Jade Marco Fidel Tristán Castro
The Museo del Jade "Marco Fidel Tristán Castro" is an archaeological museum in San José, Costa Rica. It is located on Calle 9 and Avenue 7 in the National Institute of Insurance building. It was founded in 1977 by Fidel Tristán Castro, the first president of the INS...

, (Jade Museum), Instituto Nacional de Seguros en San José.
Museo Filatélico de Costa Rica (Philately Museum)
Museo Juan Santamaría en Alajuela
Museo de los Niños
Centro Costarricense de la Ciencia y la Cultura
Centro Costarricense de la Ciencia y la Cultura is a science and culture museum complex in Costa Rica. Located in a fortress-like building that once served as the central penitentiary between 1910 and 1979, the center was inaugurated in 1994...

, (Children Museum), San José.
Parque Zoológico Nacional Simón Bolivar, (National Zoo), San José.

Medical Tourism

Costa Rica, together with Cuba

Cuba

, Mexico

Mexico

, Panama

Panama

, Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, Brasil, and Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, is among the Latin America

Latin America

Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

countries that have become popular destinations for medical tourism

Medical tourism

Medical tourism is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of travelling across international borders to obtain health care...

. In 2009 Costa Rica received 30,000 international tourists seeking for medical treatment, and spent around . Most medical travelers came from the United States and Canada. During 2010, the number of patients rose to 36,000 international tourists, with 40% of them receiving dental care services. Costa Rica is particularly attractive to American tourists because of its proximity and short flight, the quality of medical services and its health care system, and lower medical costs. The country has 20 medical centers, including small clinics and private hospitals, with international certification, including three hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International.

Americans tourist prefer Costa Rica, together with Mexico and Panama, for dental services

Dentistry

Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...

or cosmetic surgeries. Costa Rica offers 30% to 50% savings as compared to U.S. costs for quality dental and cosmetic surgery services, and is attractive for those U.S. citizens without health insurance or seeking procedures not covered by their health insurance plans. Foreign patients also find lower-priced nonsurgical procedures and tests, as an example, a magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...

(MRI) in Costa Rica costs from $200 to $300, compared to more than $1,000 in the United States. In average medical costs are 70% lower than in the U.S. Due to the country's natural attractions, many health tourists combine their treatment with ecotourism

Ecotourism

Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...

and offer an opportunity to their family or companions to be entertained while the patient undergoes the medical procedure.

Beachfront developments

In many beach areas, but especially in the towns of Tamarindo

Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Tamarindo is a town and distrito located on the Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Province of Guanacaste. The district has a population of 3,525, although the town itself is about 500. But it can swell to 5,000 people or more during the tourist season and during special holidays...

and Jacó

Jaco, Costa Rica

Jacó is a coastal city, in the county of Garabito in Costa Rica's Puntarenas province. Located in the Central Pacific Region, on the pacific coast of Costa Rica. Jacó is approximately one hour by car from San José and Costa Rica's primary International Airport . Manuel Antonio National Park is...

, a real estate

Real estate

In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...

boom took place when many foreigners from developed countries began buying beachfront properties and building holiday and vacation houses and condominiums. These developments completely changed the life style in these towns, and property prices are now so high that it became prohibitive for Costa Ricans to own beach front properties. Also, the lack of planning for these developments is having a negative social impact on small communities, as in some cases they are forced to move to places with less adequate infrastructure and where not enough job opportunities exist.

Hotel siting and construction

Also there have been isolated controversies regarding the site location and construction of hotel

Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

s and beach resorts invading the 50 metres (164 ft) protected maritime public zone; also a case of one hotel located within a protected area; and a few cases of resort development with severe negative impacts to existing flora and fauna, by dumping construction wastes damaging coral reefs or filling mangroves. As a result of these and other similar controversies, the Environment Law 7554 was passed in 1995 to require environmental impact studies before a hotel or any other development is authorized to begin construction. Another source of pollution is due to dumping untreated sewage into rivers that feed into the beach towns. In 2007 the Constitutional Court order the national and 34 local governments to stop dumping sewage into the Río Grande de Tárcoles, to restore the watershed to its unpolluted condition and to adopt an integrated solution to the wastewater problem. Towns such as Jacó

Jaco, Costa Rica

where tourism and real estate development has grown ten-fold since 2004 suffered a backslash in September 2008 when the government blamed the local government of Garabito

Garabito

Garabito is the name of the eleventh canton in the province of Puntarenas in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 316.31 km² , and has a population of 11,259 . Its capital city is Jacó....

for high levels of bacteria on the beach.

More recently, controversy took place with the construction of the Sardinal-El Coco-Ocotal aqueduct by private developers, as the community of Sardinal protested violently because they fear that scarce drinking water will be diverted for the tourism developments whose owners are financing the pipeline. As of May 2008, construction works were stopped by order of the local municipality. Developers and the government authorities have explained the aqueduct is public, and that it will benefit not only the tourism developments but also the surrounding communities. Controversy still persists regarding the real capacity of the Sardinal aquifer.

Sex tourism

The rapid growth of tourism also has the consequence of the country becoming a popular destination for sex tourism

Sex tourism

Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary...

. Despite the government and industry efforts, child sex trade

Prostitution of children

Prostitution of children or child prostitution is the commercial sexual exploitation of children in which a child performs the services of prostitution, for financial benefit. The term normally refers to prostitution by a minor, or person under the local age of majority...

has been also a problem. A study estimated that "up to 10% of tourists who come to Costa Rica engage in sex tourism", with as many as 10,000 sex workers involved, many of whom are immigrants. Also it was reported that about 80% of the sex tourists are from the US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. This is largely due because prostitution

Prostitution

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...

is not illegal, but many of the activities surrounding it are indeed illegal, such as pimping.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Description and key statistics

Comparative performance in the Latin American market

Ecotourism

The "Bandera Azul" Program

Voluntary Certification Program

Ethical Traveler Destination

Beaches and adventure

National Parks and Biological Reserves

Volcanoes

Beaches

Seven Natural Wonders of Costa Rica

Other activities and popular destinations

Medical Tourism

Beachfront developments

Hotel siting and construction

Sex tourism

See also

External links