Costa Rica hopes to rake in $1.2 billion worth of tourism revenues in 2003

Costa Rica’s travel industry will churn out some $1.25 billion by the end of the ongoing year. The nation’s Tourism Minister Abel Pacheco pointed out his country came in for 382,417 tourists in the first five months of 2003, a figure that stands for 27,000 more visitors than in 2002 and raises growth to 6.1 percent.

According to Mr. Pacheco, Costa Rica’s leisure industry generated half a billion dollars worth of revenues between January and May this year, while investments in the sector have so far amounted to $48 million.

“So far in 2003, we’ve built 750 new hotel rooms and created 1,400 new jobs,” the Costa Rican Tourism Minister added.

Mr. Pacheco also praised efforts pulled off by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute that managed to snare 65 new weekly flights for the country from such airlines as US Airways, American West, Condor, Lauda, BWIA and Air Canada.

“This has brought in about half a million additional seats in flights to our country from a number of international locations,” he said.

Mr. Pacheco also mentioned the many awards and good travel ratings his country has grabbed lately, especially the one published in Recommended magazine that named Costa Rica the number-one destination in Latin America.

Modern Bride magazine also picked Costa Rica as the world’s best destination for adventure seekers and honeymooners.