- 1,336,687 arrivals were recorded between January and June, with the largest growth occurring in the first quarter.
- Germans accounted for almost half of the additional European arrivals.
During the first six months of this year, international arrivals by air grew to 1,335,687, which represents an increase of 4.5% over the same period in 2018, with 57,565 additional arrivals.
If all ports of entry to the country are considered (air, sea, land and river), international arrivals grew to 1,725,963 in the first six months of the year.
Going by airport, the increase was 7.5% in Daniel Oduber International Airport, with 356,175 arrivals in the first six months of 2019, compared to 331,187 in the same period in 2018. At Juan Santamaría, which welcomes most of the tourists arriving in the country, there was a 3.5% increase in the first six months of 2019, for a total of 979,651 arrivals.
“The figures reflect stable, strong growth”, said the Minister of Tourism, Maria Amalia Revelo. “The increase in arrivals from Europe is particularly gratifying, since it shows that Costa Rica is growing as an important destination in that market”, the minister added. Of the 9,098 additional arrivals from Europe in the first six months of the year, 4,257 are from Germany, with arrivals from that country growing by 13.7%.
The ICT’s international arrival statistics are based on data provided by the Office of the Director-General of Immigration and Foreign Nationals (DGME).
ICT creates its destination promotion plan for each country based on the arrival statistics.
