Tourism Industry Expects
Excellent Year in 2004
According to rough estimates by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) and the National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR), nearly 1.2 million people entered the country in 2003. This marks an increase of up to 9% compared to 2002.
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Public Security Ministry
Welcomes 304 New Officers
The Public Security Ministry yesterday welcomed 304 new police officers, all recent graduates of National Police Academy's Basic Technical Course and who will now be assigned to police stations around the country, the Public Security Ministry announced.
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Producers Begin Chiverre Harvest
In Preparation for Semana Santa
Farmers have started to harvest chiverre squash in preparation for Semana Santa (Easter Week), when Costa Ricans will use it to make sweet preserves served at holiday celebrations, the Ministry of Agriculture announced this week.
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Movie Night
Tonight's show is "The Maltese Falcon" by John Huston, 6 p.m. at the Calderón Guardia Museum, 100 m. east, 125 m. north of the Santa Teresita Church in Barrio Escalante. Info: 255-1218, 222-6392.

Art Exhibit
De-Construcciones Pictóricas includes works by national and international artists bought by the Contemporary Art and Design Museum in the past year. The show is open to the public through May 22. The Museum is Av. 3, Ca. 15 in San José. Info: 221-2154.

Casa Matriz
Theatrical drama about lack of love, Thurs.-Sun., March 11- April 4, 8 p.m. at the Fanal Theater, Av. 3, Ca. 15 in San José. Info: 257-5524.

Tourism Industry Expects
Excellent Year in 2004

According to rough estimates by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) and the National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR), nearly 1.2 million people entered the country in 2003. This marks an increase of up to 9% compared to 2002.

Last year, tourism in Costa Rica generated $1.2 billion in revenues in 2003, according to CANATUR estimates.

The projections are based on the most recent entry figures (from June 2003) released by the Immigration Department and monthly surveys of tourism providers conducted by CANATUR. More exact figures (up to last September) will be made available later in the month, according to Tourism Minister Rodrigo Castro.

William Rodríguez, President of CANATUR, said he is optimistic about the future of Costa Rica's tourism industry, which he expects will continue to grow in the coming years.

Rodríguez believes ICT's efforts to attract new airlines to the country and aggressive promotion of Costa Rica as a tourism destination will result in even greater tourism growth.

Since 2002, the number of weekly international flights to Costa Rica grew 43% from 232 to 332. Over the last year, six new airlines - Air Canada, America West, Avianca, British West Indies, Thomas Cooke-Condor and U.S. Airways - began offering international flights to the country, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

"It's easy to talk about this accomplishment, but making it happen is really a very difficult task," Rodríguez explained. "It's the result of the systematic promotion of the country as a desirable destination for tourists and a profitable one for airlines."

An important effort also was made to attract international flights to Liberia's Daniel Oduber International Airport, which now receives international flights from American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines and local carrier Nature Air. The airport is expected to receive as many as 140,000 passengers in 2004, Rodríguez said.

"We are beginning what we believe will be an excellent year," he said. "However, we believe 2005 will be the year we will look back on in years to come.

"On average, it takes an airline route one year to mature and give fruit. The same can be said for Costa Rica's most recent tourism promotion campaign," he explained. "If nothing out of the ordinary happens, the combined effects of the new flights and the promotion campaign will be felt toward the near the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005."

Rodríguez said several factors are working in favor of the Costa Rican tourism industry. In terms of infrastructure, he said, the new bridge over the Tempisque River in the northwest province of Guanacaste would result in increased tourism development in southern part of that province.

Construction of the long-awaited and much-delayed highway connecting San José to the Pacific shipping port of Caldera (TT, Jan. 23) will provide a push for tourism in the Central Pacific, he predicted.

Planned improvements to Liberia and the Caribbean port city of Limón's airports will also help tourism, he said.

On the international front, the recent rise of the Euro against the U.S. dollar -- on Wednesday $1 was equal to 1.23 Euros -- has made it costly for North Americans to visit Europe. This, Rodríguez said, makes destinations such as Central America more attractive.

On the other side of the coin, a strong Euro makes it more affordable for European travelers to visit countries with currencies pegged to the dollar, such as Costa Rica.

However, not all is positive. Rodríguez said crime could hamper the tourism industry's growth, and he stressed the need to make tackling the problem a national priority.

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