2013-01-08 16:48:38 - New Consumer Goods market report from Business Monitor International: "Costa Rica Tourism Report Q1 2013"

The Costa Rica tourism report examines the significant long-term potential currently being demonstrated by the local tourism industry, but flags concerns about the proliferation of drug-trafficking throughout Central America, which poses a challenge to Costa Rican authorities and could potentially deter tourism to the region. That said, the report also analyses the growth strategies being employed by the country to continue to attract arrivals, including airport and port expansions, as well as continued efforts to remain an eco-tourism destination.

Costa Rica receives the majority of its tourist arrivals from the Americas, with the top three source markets for visitors to the country being the US, Nicaragua and Canada. Tourism arrivals, after increasing from 1.73mn in 2006 to 2.09mn in 2008, dipped

to 1.92mn in 2009 due to the global financial crisis. The numbers picked up in 2010 and 2011, rising to an estimated 2.24mn in 2012. Tourism arrivals are forecast to reach 2.36mn in 2013 before growing at an average rate of 6% until the end of our forecast period to 2017.


Full Report Details at
- www.fastmr.com/prod/523883_costa_rica_tourism_report_q1_2013.asp ..


Health tourism is an area where Costa Rica can continue to develop its infrastructure to tap further into a growing market. Already known as a destination for medical tourists, Costa Rica is competing with newer destinations such as Puerto Rico for the millions of Americans, and people from other countries, who travel abroad for medical care. In 2011, medical tourism generated an estimated US$100mn in revenue, according to the Council for International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine (PROMED).

In the same vein, Costa Rica is making retirement communities a priority to keep visitor numbers up. The country is targeting North American pensioners by doing away with the red tape of residence permits, especially for those in good health. Tax exemptions on real estate and vehicles are also being offered.

Another tourism draw for Costa Rica is spa and wellbeing vacations. The country has been recognised by TripAdvisor users as one of the best places in Central and South America to enjoy spa getaways. Some areas that wellbeing tourists are visiting are the hot springs near the Arenal Volcano, the beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula (mainly for its yoga retreats) and the back-to-nature settings of the Central Valley region.

The planned regeneration of the province of Limon, on the less frequently visited Caribbean coast, has the potential to put upward pressure on inbound tourism numbers. Puerto Limon was once the home of the United Fruit Company (the predecessor of Chiquita Brands International) and the province has two national parks. The parks have the potential to be a large tourism draw. In our view, the development of tourism infrastructure in the region is likely to unlock great potential.

Report Table of Contents:

Executive Summary
SWOT Analysis
- Costa Rica Tourism Industry SWOT
- Costa Rica Political SWOT
- Costa Rica Economic SWOT
Industry Forecast Scenario
- Arrivals
- Table: Arrivals, 2010-2017
- Accommodation
- Table: Hotels Data, 2010-2017 ('000, unless stated)
- Expenditure
- Table: Tourism Expenditure And Economic Impact, 2010-2017
- Inbound Tourism
- Table: Inbound Tourism, 2010-2017
- Outbound Tourism
- Table: Outbound Tourism, 2010-2017
Market Overview - Travel
- Commercial Airlines
- Global Oil Products Price Outlook
- Table: BMI's Oil Price Forecasts And Bloomberg Consensus, Average Price (US$/bbl)
Market Overview - Hospitality
- Accommodation Developments
- Gaming
Global Assumptions
- Table: Global Assumptions, 2011-2017
- Table: Global & Regional Real GDP Growth, % chg y-o-y
- Table: Developed Market Exchange Rates, 2011-2014
- Table: Emerging Market Exchange Rates, 2011-2014
- Developed States
- Table: Developed States Real GDP Growth Forecasts, 2011-2014 (%)
- Emerging Markets
- Table: Emerging Markets Real GDP Growth Forecasts, 2011-2014 (%)
- Table: BMI v Bloomberg Consensus Real GDP Growth Forecast, 2012-2013 (%)
Company Profiles
- Barcelo
- Nature Air
- TACA
Demographic Outlook
- Table: Costa Rica's Population By Age Group, 1990-2020 ('000)
- Table: Costa Rica's Population By Age Group, 1990-2020 (% of total)
- Table: Costa Rica's Key Population Ratios, 1990-2020
- Table: Costa Rica's Rural And Urban Population, 1990-2020
BMI Methodology
- How We Generate Our Industry Forecasts
- Tourism Industry
- Sources

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