Costa Rica’s new tourism minister, William Rodrigues, has announced plans in the country to utilise new areas of the market to build on tourism.

Costa Rica itself is known as a biodiverse, adventure-filled holiday destination, with a number of people travelling year-round to make the most out of the luscious rainforests, gorgeous coastlines and bustling city hubs. So why is Rodriguez looking to build on tourism rather than sustain it?

The Drop In Figures
The reason tourism minister Rodriguez has specified building on tourism is due to the fact that, since 2019, tourism in the country has dropped. In 2020 alone, Costa Rican hotel and restaurant trades shrank by 40% compared to 2019, with 2021 seeing the tourism trade bringing only 3.5% of GDP and 100,000 jobs being lost due to the shed.

Rodriguez has stated that, in 2022, they are likely to end the year with around 2.3 million visitors. This is still 700,000 less than in 2019. For this reason, they have to use new techniques and new niches of the market – so far untested – to drive back the numbers.

An Influx Of The Younger Demographic
It should also be noted that while the country was thriving in 2019, there was a definite influx in a younger demographic. As mentioned previously, Costa Rica is known for its offerings of adventure, with the coastlines specifically being a big reason why so many travel there.

With water sports companies like volcano.cr offering adrenaline-filled activities like waterskiing and tubing, this has seen a surge in tourists – specifically young adults – who are looking to experience more of the activity and adventure rather than simply observe.

Rodriguez has noted this, stating that there is an emphasis on friends rather than families, with the northern part of Costa Rica – where beaches are the main attraction – taking in the most tourism.

A Way To Build
With this in mind, Rodriguez has detailed his plans to build upon nautical tourism and digital nomads specifically in order to develop new niches with a new source of income.

This could involve investing in smaller vessels rather than large cruise ships – whose numbers only stick around for a couple of days – as well as increasing flight capacity to get more people into the country to start with.

Not all plans are detailed as of yet, but Rodriguez is at least hoping to end 2023 on par with 2019 and hopefully even surpass the previous numbers. He is still a new tourism minister, so whether this can be achieved so soon is yet to be seen.

Is Costa Rica A Good Travel Destination?
Costa Rica offers beautiful scenery, adventure-filled activities and stunning nightlife. If you are looking for a new place to visit, then it should definitely be up on the list.

As mentioned previously, there are many ways you can put your skills to the test and try out some of the watersports underneath the shadow of volcanoes or visit the rainforests to get truly immersed in nature. Rodriguez is planning to open new ways of tourism, but for now, the country offers enough to be a truly unforgettable experience.