This Family of Seven Was Celebrated as the 2 Millionth Tourist to Costa Rica.
The Biedron family from New Jersey received a grand welcome to Costa Rica this Wednesday, Dec. 17, as they were chosen to represent the arrival of the 2 millionth tourist to Costa Rica. Mark and Gretchen Biedron, who will be traveling in the country with their five children aged 8 thru 20 for two weeks, were met by Minister of Tourism Carlos Benavides and a large group of press and interested onlookers.
This is the first year in the history of Costa Rica that the total number of arriving tourists will surpass 2 million, a number the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) expects will jump to 2.1 million before the close of 2008. ICT also estimated that the tourist industry will have generated .2 billion by the end of the year, 0 million more than last year which saw a total of 1.9 million tourists come to the country. more…
This Christmas it has been estimated that as many as 70,000 Nicaraguans who live and work in Costa Rica will be heading home for the holidays. This figure was estimated after taking into account the number of Nicaraguans who have applied for travel documents to enable them to cross the border at Peñas Blanca.