Naturewalk grows on back of Costa Rica tourist explosion

Dec. 21, 2012 - PRLog -- Tourism is on the move in Costa Rica and NATUREWALK is seeing some interesting  statistics lately.

Naturewalk reports that Costa Rica expects to close the year with 2.3 million tourist visitors. As released this past week, The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) estimates that Costa Rica will close the year with a total of 2,300,000 total tourist arrivals.

If the estimate proves correct, it will break the record set in 2011, when the country drew 2,196,000 tourists.

According to ICT, most international arrivals are by AIR TRAVEL. Allan Flores, Tourism Minister, believes the increase in tourist arrivals is due to an increase in frequency and routes of flights to the country, as well as the arrival of more airlines providing routes to the country.

So here's a few interesting notes on air travel:

During 2012, Iberia airlines increased by 5% its capacity on the San Jose – Madrid route.  Aeromexico increase from one to two daily flights on the San Jose – Mexico City route, while Copa is now flying twice per week between Liberia and Panama. Also, two airlines announced new routes to Costa Rica this  week.  

For all our Canadian friends, Air Canada announced this week, the launch of its new, inexpensive leisure travel airline brand, “Rouge,” which will begin service in July 2013 and will provide service to both the San Jose and Liberia airports in Costa Rica, departing from Toronto, Canada. “With the introduction of Air Canada Rouge, the company enters the growing leisure travel market,” Ben Smith, executive vice president of the airline, said in a statement. And As part of a special introductory rate, flights to Costa Rica will begin at just $389, according to the statement.

United airlines also announced new service this week. United Airlines announced plans Wednesday to begin new non-stop service on several international and domestic routes in the spring, including weekly year-round service between Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport and San José, Costa Rica, scheduled to begin April 13.

The flight is subject to government approval and will operate using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the company said in a release.

From other hubs, United also will begin international service between Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport and San José, subject to official approval.

The airline is set to launch new domestic services from Dulles to Vancouver, British Columbia, between Newark and Edmonton and between Denver and Fort McMurray, Alberta. These services into Canada will also funnel into United's announced routes to Costa Rica.

NATUREWALK expects continuing strong growth in tourism over the three years to fuel its tourism development initiatives including the Coffee & Pineapple Plantation and The Adventure Center at NATUREWALK, both expected to open in 2013.

NATUREWALK is an ecologically based master planned development in the Central Pacific area of Costa Rica. We combine smart hybrid investment in agricultural plantations with a great lifestyle vacation and retirement opportunities. learn more by visiting our website at NATUREWALKcostarica.com info@costaricainvest.ie. Call U.S. and Canada toll free +1 866-990-1123 or Europe +353-1-272-4184