Decline in Foreign Tourist Arrivals in Costa Rica Continues
Costa Rica reports six consecutive months of declining tourist arrivals, marking significant decreases during the peak season.
Costa Rica has experienced a consecutive decline in foreign tourist arrivals, totaling six months as of February 2025, with the most significant drop occurring during the last month amid the peak tourist season.
Data released by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) highlights this trend.
From September 2024 to February 2025, the country welcomed 1,405,000 tourists, a decrease of nearly 32,000 visitors compared to the same timeframe in the previous year when 1,437,000 tourists were recorded.
This translates to a 2.2% decline.
February 2025 alone saw a significant decrease, with close to 294,000 visitors reported, which is down 24,000 from almost 318,000 in February 2024, representing a 7.6% drop.
In 2024, Costa Rica saw an increase in tourism compared to 2023; however, towards the end of that year and the beginning of 2025, there appears to be a diminishing appeal as a vacation destination.
During the period from February 2022 to February 2023, Costa Rica received 2,512,000 tourists.
The following year, from February 2023 to February 2024, there was an increase to 2,817,000, marking a 12.1% rise.
In contrast, the subsequent year, from February 2024 to February 2025, only a modest increase to 2,919,000 tourists was recorded, equating to a growth of just 3.6% or 102,000 additional visitors.
Factors contributing to this decline have been identified by the Cámara Nacional de Turismo (Canatur) and economist Fernando Naranjo, president of Consejeros Económicos y Financieros S. A. (Cefsa).
They cite an increase in costs associated with traveling to Costa Rica, primarily attributed to the appreciation of the Costa Rican colón against the dollar.
Businesses in the tourism sector, including hotels, airlines, and tour operators, set their prices in dollars but incur costs in colones.
As the colón appreciates, the need to adjust prices upwards arises to maintain profit margins.
For instance, in June 2022, a service priced at $100 equated to approximately ¢69,500; now, that same amount translates to under ¢50,000, indicating a 28% decline in income in colones per dollar.
This adjustment leads to price increases exceeding 20% for tourists compared to two years prior.
Shirley Calvo Jiménez, the executive director of Canatur, supports these findings, stating that business owners face increased pressure on cash flow, attending to more tourists while managing production costs impacted by exchange rates and pandemic-related debt burdens.
Additionally, she pointed out that deteriorating infrastructure in roads and airports may also affect tourist numbers.
In contrast, Tourism Minister William Rodríguez attributed the decrease in tourist arrivals to a reduction in available flight seats to Costa Rica without addressing other contributing factors.
He noted during a press conference at Casa Presidencial that airlines from Europe and the United States have reduced their seat offerings to the country.
Rodríguez also mentioned the U.S. presidential elections in November as a potential influence, although he did not elaborate on this point, reiterating that limited seat availability is the primary reason for the decrease in tourist visitation.
Data released by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) highlights this trend.
From September 2024 to February 2025, the country welcomed 1,405,000 tourists, a decrease of nearly 32,000 visitors compared to the same timeframe in the previous year when 1,437,000 tourists were recorded.
This translates to a 2.2% decline.
February 2025 alone saw a significant decrease, with close to 294,000 visitors reported, which is down 24,000 from almost 318,000 in February 2024, representing a 7.6% drop.
In 2024, Costa Rica saw an increase in tourism compared to 2023; however, towards the end of that year and the beginning of 2025, there appears to be a diminishing appeal as a vacation destination.
During the period from February 2022 to February 2023, Costa Rica received 2,512,000 tourists.
The following year, from February 2023 to February 2024, there was an increase to 2,817,000, marking a 12.1% rise.
In contrast, the subsequent year, from February 2024 to February 2025, only a modest increase to 2,919,000 tourists was recorded, equating to a growth of just 3.6% or 102,000 additional visitors.
Factors contributing to this decline have been identified by the Cámara Nacional de Turismo (Canatur) and economist Fernando Naranjo, president of Consejeros Económicos y Financieros S. A. (Cefsa).
They cite an increase in costs associated with traveling to Costa Rica, primarily attributed to the appreciation of the Costa Rican colón against the dollar.
Businesses in the tourism sector, including hotels, airlines, and tour operators, set their prices in dollars but incur costs in colones.
As the colón appreciates, the need to adjust prices upwards arises to maintain profit margins.
For instance, in June 2022, a service priced at $100 equated to approximately ¢69,500; now, that same amount translates to under ¢50,000, indicating a 28% decline in income in colones per dollar.
This adjustment leads to price increases exceeding 20% for tourists compared to two years prior.
Shirley Calvo Jiménez, the executive director of Canatur, supports these findings, stating that business owners face increased pressure on cash flow, attending to more tourists while managing production costs impacted by exchange rates and pandemic-related debt burdens.
Additionally, she pointed out that deteriorating infrastructure in roads and airports may also affect tourist numbers.
In contrast, Tourism Minister William Rodríguez attributed the decrease in tourist arrivals to a reduction in available flight seats to Costa Rica without addressing other contributing factors.
He noted during a press conference at Casa Presidencial that airlines from Europe and the United States have reduced their seat offerings to the country.
Rodríguez also mentioned the U.S. presidential elections in November as a potential influence, although he did not elaborate on this point, reiterating that limited seat availability is the primary reason for the decrease in tourist visitation.
