Hotel owners in Costa Rica fear recent power outages could hurt their bottom line, according to a statement released yesterday by the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels.
They're afraid their guests will cancel reservations as they learn of Costa Rica's energy crisis, which has been evident since an unplanned massive blackout occurred April 19. Smaller, scheduled blackouts have since become the norm as the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) rations the country's insufficient energy supply.
The institute has blamed low water levels at hydroelectric dams and broken thermal energy plants as two of the main causes of the rationing, which it says will continue until the rainy season begins (TT, April 27).
Small and medium hotels, which make up 90% of the country's hotel industry, have been the hardest hit, since they lack funds to buy generators or keep them operating for several hours a day, said the chamber's vice-president Ana Gabriela Alfaro, according to the statement.
“We are very worried that the situation will make hundreds of people lose their main source of income,” Alfaro said, explaining that tourists who hear of Costa Rica's energy crisis may opt to vacation elsewhere.
In other energy crisis news, Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) spokeswoman Rose Mary Monge said there will be a temporary break in the power outages today.
Since today is a holiday (Labor Day) and many workplaces are closed, the demand for electricity is much lower, making rationing unnecessary.
Planned blackouts are scheduled to resume tomorrow, and Monge said ICE will post a schedule of these power outages on its Web site, www.grupoice.com. Viewers can click on the blue banner on the right side of the page reading “Planes de cortes eléctricos ” to view the schedules, which are subject to change. |
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