Is Costa Rica still an attractive location for those wanting to place their hard earned dollars in a secure investment giving them a decent ROI through rental income or hospitality revenue?
Looking at the statistics from the Costa Rican INT (1) – National Institute of Tourism – any doubt on this concern will fade. It is clear that the country’s tourism sector was hit by the 2008 financial crisis, but it is even more obvious how the country’s comeback is even stronger. Since 2012 the yearly revenue from tourism is back at it’s 2008 level and growing steadily and firm far above that level ever since, with 2016 showing a yearly growth of 12.4% and being 43 % above the 2008 level.
In 2017 more than 2.18 million tourists from all over the world landed by air in Costa Rica, being 3.5% more than the previous year and 17.7% more than in 2015. These figures are important since the more travelers come, the greater the space needed to host them.
And there are other signs that Costa Rica is doing great on the tourism market:
During the International Tourism Fair, one of the largest in the world, held in Madrid last January, the country received the 2018 Award of Excellence with its new tourism identity “Costa Rica, my choice naturally”, and last year, Costa Rica hosted the first global sustainable tourism investment conference, another event contributing to its positioning as a global destination.
As another indication of growing tourist attraction, every year new airlines keep signing up to land to San Juan Maria National airport, with direct flights from every corner of the world. 2017 and 2018 are no different with Latam airlines (Lima-San José), KLM airlines (Amsterdam-San José) and Evelop ( Lisboa- San José ) adding to the list of airlines offering better connections to travelers and residents.
So, it is clear, Costa Rica is a hot-spot, for tourists wanting to escape the cold and explore the natural wonders, for families seeking other horizons and a better quality of life, and for people looking for a sunny, pleasant and peaceful place to retire to.
And this is undeniably reflected in the increase in interest for and purchase of raw land and lots since 2015, also in the Tamarindo area, along with an obvious wave of new construction of contemporary rental homes, and modern businesses in the area, and a never before seen boom of the international schools in the area.
With country-wide tourism steadily growing and the promise of a steady and sustainable regional growth, through projects that have been planned for years and will finally happen such as the paving of the Tamarindo-Langosta road and the building of the Flamingo Marina, the future for the local economy but also for those seeking a secure investment is looking as sunny and bright as the beach and the sky do so steadily in Tamarindo!