Nearly half (47%) of tourists who entered Costa Rica in August and September of this year did so without a vaccination plan, and thus offered a health insurance policy instead, according to data from the National Chamber of Tourism (Canator).
The number is applicable from the first. August, at which time vaccination data began to be requested in the form called “Health Pass”, which allowed accurate information on the condition of those visiting Costa Rica.
The result indicates that 47% of travelers entered the country without vaccination during the two months. Thus, a simple application of the figure indicates that last September, when the total number of tourists entered 77,599 per month, 36,471 tourists did not come with protection.
Kanator provided the figure to determine the impact that implementing QR code requirements would have on these tourists to enter businesses such as hotels, restaurants, tour operators and other services.
Canator President Robin Acon warned on Wednesday, 3 November that in theory tourists would in this case choose between coming to Costa Rica or traveling to countries where there is no requirement.
Businessmen have asked the government to postpone the vaccination requirement for all sectors and companies until after Easter due to doubts about QR Code technology to control corporate income and the increasing cancellation of reservations.
[ Empresarios turísticos piden a Gobierno posponer control QR de vacunación hasta después de Semana Santa ]
public numbers
Meanwhile, the entry of tourists to Costa Rica in the first nine months of this year, as measured by the number of international arrivals by air, was only 45.5% of the figures obtained in 2019.
Between January and September of 2021, a total of 836,190 tourists arrived by air, while in the same period in 2019 the figure was 1,836,023 international tourists by air.
The slow recovery of the tourism sector is driven in particular by the arrival of North Americans, and Americans in particular. In September, the income of US citizens decreased by 6.7% compared to the same month in 2019, while the income of North American citizens (including Canada and Mexico) decreased by 16.4%.
Of the 836,190 total air arrivals recorded in the first nine months of this year, 593,871 were from the United States, which is why this source of tourists represented 72% of the total in the nine-month period.
[ Ingreso de turistas estadounidenses casi alcanzó en setiembre la cantidad registrada antes de la pandemia ]
In its review of the growth of the economy, presented last November 1, the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) reported that the tourism sector is the slowest to recover, but noted that by 2022 it will be very important in this. Processing.
“There is a stronger recovery in consumption, and this has led to the upward revision for 2021, and for 2022 we expect a much bigger recovery due to tourism and the progress of vaccination campaigns,” the head of the Bahrain Center for Vaccination explained that day. Cupero.
The latest report on income from tourism (travel) for the first half of 2021 indicated $468 million in the first six months, compared to $1.234 million in the same period last year. This 54% decrease in income is explained by the fact that between January and March 2020 the tourism sector was growing strongly, which subsequently slowed down due to the pandemic.
The report, which was released last October 22 by the Foreign Trade Promoter Company (Procomer), details that in six months of 2019 foreign exchange generation for travel or tourism amounted to $2,174 million.
