Are you feeling the pull to travel to Costa Rica but unsure when this will be possible?
For those of us with the travelling bug, global travel restrictions due to the pandemic may have halted our plans. But, as with all of life’s challenges, this time too will pass.
It is still ok to dream, to be happy and to be excited about future change.
The burning question for many is, when can we come to Costa Rica?
When can I travel?
So, what is the future of travel to Costa Rica?
This article is to set out the current situation and to provide links to official information resources, which should be updated regularly. However, the situation is in constant review so please bear this in mind when making any travel plans.
The United State’s health protection agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), evaluates the risk of travel and at the present time, like with most other countries, it “recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Costa Rica.”
You can find the current CDC’s risk assessment of the status of Costa Rica travel here. Please note that this assessment was last updated on 5 June 2020 and you should continue to check it for the latest position.
International Travel
Costa Rica closed its borders to all foreign travelers between March 18 and July 31 2020.
However, the Costa Rican government has stated that, from 1 August 2020, both the SJO and the Daniel Oduber airport (LIR) in Liberia, Guanacaste will partially reopen to international tourists from selected countries.
The list of countries currently includes the EU, United Kingdom, and Canada and a maximum of 5 flights will be allowed each week in an attempt to control tourism. This will be continuously reviewed by the government to include more countries and flights.
Here is the link to Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health for more information about the current Covid 19 situation and government plans. On 23 July, the Ministry of Health’s article about the opening of commercial flights reveals that Costa Rica has received the Safe Travels seal from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), thanks to the implementation of the 16 health protocols for tourist activities.
The Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Segura states:
“To get the seal we had to send the protocols to the WTTC for review, they approved them and now comes a third stage with the process to sub-license Costa Rican tourism companies and promote the use of the seal. The success of the seal requires that all small, medium and large companies, as well as employees and tourists, comply with the health measures against the pandemic.”
“A world leader in nature tourism”
Although travel plans may be on hold for the moment, we can still make plans for the future and there is a buzz in the media about the best places to visit once travel can resume.
With a diverse landscape of beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, mountains and volcanoes, national parks and reserves and over 500,000 species, it won’t be a surprise to hear that Costa Rica is a front runner.
The World Economic Forum has designated Costa Rica as a “world leader in nature tourism and the second in adventure tourism” says Shirley Calvo, executive director of the National Tourism Chamber (Canatur).
With hope and dreams we nourish our souls.
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We are looking forward to welcoming you to our beautiful community!
Stay safe and stay positive.
Photo by Isabella Juskova on Unsplash
