TOURISM SNAPSHOT IN COSTA RICA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN JOSE 001757

SIPDIS

WHA/CEN
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EIND CASC EINV PGOV CS
SUBJECT: TOURISM SNAPSHOT IN COSTA RICA

REF: SAN JOSE 01491


1. Summary. The tourism industry is king in Costa Rica,
having been the nation's top revenue generator since 2001.
The number of tourists coming to Costa Rica continues to
increase, with hundreds of thousands of Americans,
Canadians, and Europeans flocking to the beaches,
volcanoes, and adventure- and eco-tourism sites every year.
Despite the importance to the economic health of the
nation, the tourism industry and infrastructure that
supports it do not receive the attention they deserve.
Public investment in infrastructure such as roads and
communications lines is not sufficient to keep up with the
increasing demand. Despite this fact, the tourists keep
coming, placing more wear and tear on the facilities and
infrastructure in Costa Rica. See Table One in Paragraph 9
for tourism- related data. End Summary


2. The tourism industry in Costa Rica has been booming in
recent years, and since 2001, it has been the number one
revenue generator in the country. The industry brought in
almost USD 1.1 billion in 2001, increasing to USD 1.4
billion in 2004, according to the Costa Rica Tourism
Statistical Yearly Report compiled by the Costa Rica
Tourism Board. Costa Rica is the most-visited country in
Central America; approximately 1.5 million visitors in
2004, according to the above mentioned report. However,
the tourism industry is not getting the serious attention
that it deserves. As an investment advisor for the Costa
Rican Ministry of Tourism (ICT) points out, "The
Administration doesn't appreciate tourism the way it
should." Other industries, such as the banana and coffee
industries, despite declining in importance with respect to
revenues and jobs, are still overshadowing the tourism
industry in political culture. This despite tourism's
earning more foreign exchange per year than the entire
agriculture industry.


3. According to Carlos Lizama, the Vice-President of the
Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals, the
tourism industry provides over 100,000 direct jobs, which
is approximately 9 percent of the total employment of
private Costa Rican businesses. The available figures for
the number of indirect jobs provided vary greatly and are
estimated at between 200,000 and 300,000 jobs. This is not
insignificant given that the total population is
approximately 4 million and the labor force numbers
approximately 1.7 million. About 56 percent of the direct
jobs are outside the San Jose metropolitan area, which
gives the industry a unique role in boosting employment and
income outside of the capital area.


4. The industry continues to grow, and in the first
quarter of 2005, Costa Rica, according to the World Tourism
Organization, received USD 89 million more from tourism
than it did in the same quarter in 2004, which represents
growth of 17 percent. The growth has not only increased
revenue but also has taxed public facilities, and has
resulted in an inability to meet demand. "La Nacin," a
national daily newspaper, reported that 39,000 tourists
were unable to book hotel rooms this past December through
April because of an estimated deficit of 1,500 rooms. This
phenomenal growth has caught many off guard, and William
Rodriguez, the Chairman of the National Chamber of Tourism,
remarked that in order for tourism to remain a principal
revenue generator and maintain growth, Costa Rica must
invest in public facilities including roads and highways.


5. Tourism has consistently brought in more foreign direct
investment (FDI) than any sector other than industry, even
more than the financial and agricultural sectors (reftel).
FDI in tourism reached an all-time high of over USD 111
million (current) in 2001. This increased investment
helped spawn the explosion in the number of tourists coming
to Costa Rica since 2001 (an increase in tourism of almost
50 percent). However, since the peak in 2001, FDI has
declined and, at USD 51 million, has more than halved from
its peak in 2001.

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COMMENT
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6. At this time, Costa Rica has a comparative advantage in
Central America in the tourism industry - it has an
unequaled reputation regarding the protection of its unique
biodiversity and has a long history of peace and stability.
Costa Rica has become a victim of its own success: the
increasing number of tourists make increasing demands on
the infrastructure. These increasing demands (rooms,
facilities, roads, internet services, etc.) cannot
consistently be met unless a concerted effort is put into
place by the GOCR. The decrease in public sector support
evidenced not only by the neglect of infrastructure
maintenance but also by the lack of attracting more FDI,
will have a definite negative impact of the potential
growth of the tourism industry in Costa Rica.


7. Despite the explosion in the number of tourist who
visit Costa Rica, tourism revenues may soon reach their
peak if the Costa Rican government does not pay attention
to the needs of the tourism industry and invest in
infrastructure, especially in roads and bridges that have
been in disrepair for years and continue to deteriorate.
Increasing investments by GOCR in tourism-supporting areas
will attract more businesses who rely on efficient
infrastructures and bring the Costa Rican hospitality
industry up to the needed capacity. This will generate
more jobs and more revenue for the country.

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TOURISM FIGURES IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS
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8. TABLE ONE

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
-------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
Total Tourists 1,088,07 1,131,406 1,113,35 1,238,69 1,452,92
5 9 2 6
U.S. Tourists 429,725 429,093 422,215 510,751 633,640
U.S. Tourists 47% 46% 46% 49% 52%
(% of Total)
Tourism $1,229 $1,095 $1,078 $1,199 $1,357
Revenues (USD
mln)
Tourism 8% 7% 6% 7% 7%
Revenues (%
GDP*)
FDI** Directed $52.1 $111.5 $76 $88.3 $51.4
to Tourism (USD
mln)
FDI** Directed 13% 24% 12% 15% 9%
to Tourism (%
Total)
*Gross Domestic Product, **Foreign Direct Investment
KAPLAN