Tourism in Costa Rica has grown rapidly over the past few decades, becoming the largest foreign earner by 1995. The number of foreign visitors has increased from 329,000 in 1988 to over 2 million in 2008 and 2.66 million in 2015. Ecotourism makes up a large portion of Costa Rica's tourism and focuses on activities like trekking, wildlife viewing, and visiting rural communities and national parks. Popular tourist destinations include Corcovado National Park, Arenal Volcano National Park, beaches in Tamarindo and Playa Langosta, and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Costa Rican culture has been influenced by Spanish culture and indigenous groups, and the official language is Spanish.

4. TOURISM IN COSTA RICA
O Tourism in Costa Rica is one of the fastest
growing economic sectors of the country and
by 1995 became the largest foreign earner.
O The tourism boom began in 1987 with the
number of visitors up from 329,000 in 1988,
through 1.03 million 1999, over 2 million in
2008, to a historical record of 2.66 million
foreign visitors by 2015.
O The country also has plenty of beaches, both
in pacific ocean, & Caribbean sea, within short
travel distances & also several volcanoes that
can be visited with safety.

5. O According to Costa Rican Tourism Board,
47% of the international tourists visiting
the country in 2009 engaged in activities
related to the ecotourism which includes
trekking, flora, fauna, and bird watching &
visits to rural communities.
O Costa Rica was included by Ethical
Traveller magazine in 2011 & 2012 list of
Developing World’s 10 Best Ethical
Destinations.

6. ECOTOURISM
O Ecotourism is extremely popular with many
tourists visiting the extensive national parks &
protected areas around the country.
O As of 2006, a 54% of international tourists
visited national parks or protected areas,
visiting at least any two such natural refuges
& it goes up to 3 for European Visitors.
O In recent years, several of its top travel
service providers have been internationally
recognized for their for their commitment to
planet positive tourism.

7. TOURISM
O CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK
Located on the gorgeous Osa Peninsula, the
Corcovado National Park has been called as one of the
most biodiverse places on earth. Together with Drake
Bay, this region has become an ecotourism hot spot for
those who want to be one with nature.

8. O ARENAL VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK
Used to be one of the most active volcanoes in Costa
Rica, the beautiful Arenal is indeed a sight to behold.
Visit La Fortuna, a tiny town near the base of the
volcano and you will not regret the sheer beauty. While
here don’t forget to check out the marvelous Hot
Springs, a tropical paradise where you can relax both
your mind and body.

9. O TAMARINDO, PLAYA LNAGOSTA
Located along the north Pacific Coast, Tamarindo and
its surrounding beaches are some of the most easily
accessible beach towns in the region. Boasting crystal
clear turquoise water and pristine weather, Tamarindo is
one of the most popular tourist destinations for good
reason.

10. O MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK
What this park lacks in size, it makes up for in the
incredible wealth of attractions found here. Stunning
tropical beaches, an amazing array of birds and wildlife,
rich dense forestation, easy accessibility and a plethora
of things to do, all make this park one of the most
popular tourist attractions in the country.

11. O MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST RESERVE
O Shrouded in clouds, the stunning Monteverde
Cloud Forest Reserve has a unique air of mystery to
it. A distinctive mountain rainforest where the
humidity is usually 100%, Monteverde is home to
more than 3000 species of animals and plants.

12. Beaches & Adventure
O Most of the main attractions are nature
related, a combination of ecotourism with
leisure and adventure activities, sun, sea
& sand (55%), flora & wildlife watching
(44%), visiting volcanoes (43%), trekking
(41%) etc.

13. Medical Tourism
O Costa Rica together with Cuba, Mexico,
Panama, Brazil, Colombia, Chile is among
the Latin American Countries that have
become popular for medical tourism.
O In 2009, Costa Rica received 30,000
tourists seeking for medical treatment &
spent around $250 million. Most of the
medical travelers came from US &
Canada.

14. CULTURE OF COSTA RICA
O Costa Rica culture has been heavily
influenced by Spanish Culture ever since
the Spanish Colonization of America
including the territory which today forms
Costa Rica.
O Parts of the country have strong influence,
including the Caribbean province of Limon
are influenced by Jamaican immigrants &
indigenous native people.

15. O The OFFICIAL LANGUAGE of Costa Rica is
Spanish. English is the first foreign language
& the second most taught language in Costa
Rica followed by French, German, Italian &
Chinese.
RELIGION:
O A 2007 survey conducted by University of
Costa Rica found that 70.5% of the population
identifies themselves as Roman Catholics
(44.9%practising & 25.6%non-practising).
O Costa Rica has various religious dominations:
Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam etc.

16. Art:
Music :
O Most of the music & folklore comes from the
North of the country including the Mayan
Culture & the Afro-Caribbean Culture.
O Costa Rican Music is marked by a rhythm
known as tambito, as well as distinctive
musical genre known as punto.
Dance :
O Dance remains an important cultural tradition
in Costa Rica. Most Costa Ricans learn
several dance forms from young ages. The
vast majority of the Costa Rican traditional
dances were born in the province
GUANACASTE.

17. PEOPLE OF COSTA RICA
O Ticos, as Costa Rican call themselves
affectionately are so named for their
linguistic tendency to add the diminutive
“tico” to the end of each word.
O Despite Color or Creed, Costa Ricans
universally share a strong cultural identity.
In fact, though Costa Rican were once the
part of a centralized Central American
Government, they are deeply proud of their
Tico Heritage.

18. O Indeed Costa Rica is a unique nation, built
from their recent history of tolerance &
prosperity. In 1948, Costa Ricans proved
their confidence in the stability of their
nation by abolishing their army.
O Instead of recruiting regiments of
infantry, they recruited platoons to forest
rangers & teachers.
O Investing their country has paid off – total
literacy rates soar to over 96%, infant
mortality rates are the lowest in Latin
America after Cuba & 26% of the country’s
verdant landscape is protected by the law.