Despite the downturn in the economy and the airline route reduction, low cost carrier Jet Blue is adding San Jose Costa Rica to it flight schedule. They will operate direct flights from Orlando, Florida to San Jose, Costa Rica starting March 26th, 2009. This is good news for tourism in Costa Rica because in order to increase visitors, Costa Rica needed more airline carriers to add Costa Rica to their routes. 

Peter van Hussen, General Manager DayStar Properties expressed in order to fill the capacity of vacancies in Jaco we will need to work with the airlines to add more flights. This solution requires careful coordination and negotiation with the different carriers. State officials have long known that attracting airlines is a balance of incentives and ability to service the arriving flights.

This is a great news for surfers who vacation here in Costa Rica.  Many surfers who live on the east coast of the United States often use Jet BLue to take weekend trips to the beaches of Florida to surf. With the addition of this route, weekend surfers will be able to get connecting flights in Orlando and surf the beaches of Costa Rica.

Surf in Jaco will let you know which hotels here in Jaco and Costa Rica will offer specials for Jet Blue customers. We will work with the local hotels here in Jaco to offer special discounts for our visitors and Jet Blue customers. The good news for Jaco hotels and Costa Rica in general is that Jet Blue does not have any plans in the near future to open up any other Central American destinations.

According to sources, ICT or the Costa Rica Tourism Institute and Alterra which has the management contract for Juan Santa Maria Airport fought hard for this new route and is proud of their results.

With the USA and western Europe economy suffering the worst economic depression ever recorded, the Costa Rican tourism officials had their fingers crossed entering the start of High Season.  The ICT which is the official agency that promotes tourism here in Costa Rica made a public relations event out of the 2,000,000th customer visting here.

Many hotels and industry have been hurting in Jaco as a result of the lower tourist numbers but most agree that their real money comes in during the high season. So everyone in Jaco was crossing their fingers and hoping it would be equal to last year at least. But if you are a regular here in Jaco you know the tourists are here in droves. Even the nationals are visiting Jaco in large numbers since the national schools are on vacation.

Chuck from WOW Surf told me last week that he is very busy and is not complaining. Taco Bar, a local favorite, serves fresh fish tacos has been jammed the past few days as tourists feast on the salad buffet and fresh fish. Even the shops that sell anything from a fish comb to ceramic wind chimes have been selling their wares to eager tourists.

I wish I could say the municipality was ready for this but they were not. Luckily for Jaco, tourists do not factor this when deciding whether or not to visit us. But the muni could have waited to dig up the “Pop’s” calle until after the high season instead of leaving it as a dirt road filling the main street with plenty of dust that tourists have to cover their mouths and shield their eyes when near. Jaco’s, Chinese funded, park is still not complete while tourists try and shoot photos of the large Iguanas that used to inhabit the refuge.

Check back next week for our new photo gallery and virtual tours of Costa Rica’s most famous tourist attractions.

Tourism, Industry and Construction in Costa Rica Saw Low Growth This Year.

As the year comes to a close, more depressing statistics about the true effects of the economic crisis on Central America continue to be uncovered. The latest numbers state that the industrial and construction industries were the biggest hit with a measly growth of 5% for each. The previous year, the industrial industry experienced 8% growth while the construction industry had an impressive 18% growth. The production industry had an extremely low growth rate at 1.14%, while the hotel and commercial industries were also hard hit.

All these statistics were brought to light thanks to the Monthly Economic Activity Index (Imae), which was published by the Banco Central this past Saturday. The Index is a compilation of poll answers collected from 800 Costa Rica businesses.

As the economy is so tightly interconnected, the drop in construction led to a reduction in the production of construction materials such as cement and iron, leading to lost jobs and low profits. The industrial industry is watched closely because there are currently 240,000 people employed in the industry, and from July 2007 and July 2008, 12,000 jobs were lost. As a close second, there are 152,000 people that work in construction in Costa Rica, a number that has not changed over the past year. This of course affects the buying power of consumers, leading to lower sales totals for those offering goods and services.

In tourism, 8,000 of a total 100,000 (8%) jobs were lost between July 2007 and July 2008, and in commerce, the amount of jobs actually increased by 11,000 positions. The only industries that showed growth from now and last year were Costa Rica real estate and the government.

The Costa Rican tourism Institute (ICT) expects a growth of 7% in tourists from last years totals, though recent devastating floods in Puerto Viejo have caused occupancy levels to drop to an unprecedented 1%! After two low pressure systems swept through the region, flood waters displaced over 5,000 people and damaged crops and infrastructure in the region. However, despite the fact that all transportation routes have been fixed, and little damage remains, the reservation cancellations continue. With 35,000 people employed in tourism in the region, calls for help are going to the ICT to search for solutions. In the meantime, many hotel owners are offering up to 50% discounts, though 80% of bars and restaurants have simply kept their doors shut until a higher demand rolls around.

Costa Rica: The Perfect Wedding Destination.

Whether you want to an add an exotic touch to your big day, or have fallen for a Costa Rican and are planning your wedding in the country, you couldn’t have chosen a better place to get married! Costa Rica is a stunning location for a wedding, with your choice of volcano, cloud forest, rainforest or beach as the event’s perfect backdrop. Those being just a few benefits, Katie High, Project Manager of Costa Rican Vacations, lets us in on the others along with some caveats for the first-time wedding planner.

Katie relocated from her native Waynesville, North Carolina to live in Costa Rica in 2005. On May 3rd 2008, she married Alfonso Straffon, her Tico partner of almost three years. The wedding took place in La Mariposa Hotel, located in beautiful Manuel Antonio on the Pacific Coast. Having initially met at the gym, Alfonso sweetly offered to help Katie home with her grocery bags, as Katie feigned a sore back from an extended workout. The plan worked like magic and “the rest”, Katie says, “is history!” more…

With Costa Rican Vacation’s Last Minute Availabilities – There’s No Excuse not to!

The Holiday Season is a double whammy in Costa Rica – when vacation days mix with the beginning of the dry season, it’s not hard to find a reason to celebrate no matter your faith. With forecasts of blue skies and refreshing “Christmas winds”, many people stuck in the snow covered north start to look longingly to their neighbor to the south for a bit of relief. To help you plan your Christmas vacation at the beach, Costa Rican Vacations, a luxury travel agency located in San Jose, has just announced its Last Minute Holiday Availabilities. These spots traditionally run out quickly, so take a look and you might find yourself saying “Feliz Navidad” this Dec. 25. If you still undecided, read on for some great reasons to spend your holiday vacation in the sun. more…