Only two companies offer flights to different locations within Costa Rica - Nature Air and Sansa - offering customers up to 175 flights daily during the high season, which ends in May.
Natura Air, based at the Tobias Bolaños international airport in Pavas, offers 80 flights daily, while Sansa, the regional arm of TACA airlines, offers 95 flight daily out of the "domestic terminal" at the Juan Santamaría (San José) international airport.
During the low season (May to November), the two airlines offer 160 flights daily.
The arilines are responding to an increased demand by tourists and national alike who prefer to take the short flights rather than the hours of driving.
During 2007, the two airlines report carrying 325.000 passengers, making the business of national flights fully profitable.
According to Lisette Acosta, marketing manager for Nature Air, 70% of the customers are foreigners.
Nature Air offers14 destinations, while Sansa offers 16. Some of the destinations in highest demand are Puerto Jiménez in the Southern zone and Quepos in the Central Pacific. The destinations of Liberia and Tamarindo are the most in demand for Guancaste bound travellers.
The cost of flying to and from San José is not cheap. For example, a return trip to Tamarindo from San José costs us$209 on Sansa and us$177 on Nature Air. Customers rationalize the cost that the less than an hour flight is a lot better than a five hour car or bus ride.
The rate is based on operational costs and the demand for each destination and the high and low season.
For example, the current rate on the airlines website for Puerto Jiménez is us$193 on Nature Air and us$206 on Sansa. During the low season, both airlines offer flights at less than half that at us$79.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Costa Rica Attracts New Level of Luxury Investment
By CostaRicaPages.com
With the estimated arrival of nearly 2 million tourists to Costa Rica in 2008, and a projected income of nearly $3 billion for the tourism industry, it’s no wonder that luxury hotel and rental establishments are tripping over themselves to get in on the action.
Villa Buena Onda
Costa Rica Investment — Luxury Investments on the Rise
Last year saw an investment of $800 million in the tourism sector alone. The Doubletree by Hilton is one of the big newcomers this year, with two hotels recently opened under their name, and another on the way.
“Costa Rica is one of the top eco-tourism destinations in the world, with visitor arrivals growing more each year,” said Hilton Hotel Area Vice President Danny Hughes. “We want to support the country’s tourism growth and welcome guests to experience the biodiversity that makes Costa Rica such an amazing place to be.”
The Doubletree Cariari by Hilton San Jose and the Doubletree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas were Sol Melia and Fiesta hotel properties, respectively, that underwent extensive renovations and brand training to meet Hilton standards. The employees also received service training to offer the same upscale, full-service product that the Doubletree hotels are internationally known for. The Hilton Papagayo Resort will also open soon in place of the Premier Fiesta Resort, with its own private beach near the Four Seasons.
Multi-billion dollar corporations are not the only ones taking part in the fun. First time investors are flocking to the Costa Rican shorelines without batting an eye at the rising land and construction costs, drawn by stories of properties that pay themselves off after several years of rental. Luxury homes that far exceed the levels of what the country once knew are on the rise, and returns on investment are growing at nearly the same rate.
After years of marketing other people’s vacation properties to clients, Costa Rican Vacations’ co-owner Tony Silva and his partner Casey Halloran finally decided that building their own Costa Rica vacation rental was a no-brainer. They combined their favorite aspects of other homes into one, and ended up with a product that far exceeded their original expectations.
“We went all out with this property,” Silva said. “In the end, if you aren’t a superlative in the industry, you’re just another rental home. Vacationers aren’t concerned about the price if they can be assured they are getting the best product with the best service.”
Their product, Villa Buena Onda, located in Playa del Coco, Guanacaste, is one of the biggest homes in the region sleeping 23 people, and rents for a minimum of $9,000 per week, which includes all-inclusive meals, drinks and service. Their unique transparent policy lets guests and fractional owners know exactly how much was spent in the construction, and how much money they intend to make once the villa is sold in two years. If you do the math, you will understand why their plans include the construction of a second villa in 2009.
With the estimated arrival of nearly 2 million tourists to Costa Rica in 2008, and a projected income of nearly $3 billion for the tourism industry, it’s no wonder that luxury hotel and rental establishments are tripping over themselves to get in on the action.
Villa Buena Onda
Costa Rica Investment — Luxury Investments on the Rise
Last year saw an investment of $800 million in the tourism sector alone. The Doubletree by Hilton is one of the big newcomers this year, with two hotels recently opened under their name, and another on the way.
“Costa Rica is one of the top eco-tourism destinations in the world, with visitor arrivals growing more each year,” said Hilton Hotel Area Vice President Danny Hughes. “We want to support the country’s tourism growth and welcome guests to experience the biodiversity that makes Costa Rica such an amazing place to be.”
The Doubletree Cariari by Hilton San Jose and the Doubletree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas were Sol Melia and Fiesta hotel properties, respectively, that underwent extensive renovations and brand training to meet Hilton standards. The employees also received service training to offer the same upscale, full-service product that the Doubletree hotels are internationally known for. The Hilton Papagayo Resort will also open soon in place of the Premier Fiesta Resort, with its own private beach near the Four Seasons.
Multi-billion dollar corporations are not the only ones taking part in the fun. First time investors are flocking to the Costa Rican shorelines without batting an eye at the rising land and construction costs, drawn by stories of properties that pay themselves off after several years of rental. Luxury homes that far exceed the levels of what the country once knew are on the rise, and returns on investment are growing at nearly the same rate.
After years of marketing other people’s vacation properties to clients, Costa Rican Vacations’ co-owner Tony Silva and his partner Casey Halloran finally decided that building their own Costa Rica vacation rental was a no-brainer. They combined their favorite aspects of other homes into one, and ended up with a product that far exceeded their original expectations.
“We went all out with this property,” Silva said. “In the end, if you aren’t a superlative in the industry, you’re just another rental home. Vacationers aren’t concerned about the price if they can be assured they are getting the best product with the best service.”
Their product, Villa Buena Onda, located in Playa del Coco, Guanacaste, is one of the biggest homes in the region sleeping 23 people, and rents for a minimum of $9,000 per week, which includes all-inclusive meals, drinks and service. Their unique transparent policy lets guests and fractional owners know exactly how much was spent in the construction, and how much money they intend to make once the villa is sold in two years. If you do the math, you will understand why their plans include the construction of a second villa in 2009.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Caribbean Recieves A Boost
World Bank Approves us$72.5 million to Revitalize Limón
The port city of Limón, on the Caribbean coast, will soon get a revitalization thanks to a loan for us$72.5 million dollars by the World Bank. The revamping is being called the Port-City Limón Project.
The loan is one of three initiatives in the Caribbean coast being pushed by Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, according to a Casa Presidencial press release.
The Limón project is expected to pave the way for the other two projects that will expand social programs in the region and build a mega-port.
The Arias government has put aside us$7.5 million dollars to assist in the renovation that is in addition of the World Bank loan.
According to the World Bank, the loan is to invested in urban centres, providing basic services to the areas poorest inhabitants and help reduce unemployment and raise income levels.
“With its historic center and unique Caribbean identity, Limon has great potential for tourism development but this is not being realized due to limitations in its urban planning and management capacity,” said Laura Frigenti, World Bank Director for Central America.
"This loan will help the city of Limon to diversify its economy and to develop both tourism and trade in a sustainable manner, while creating a more livable environment for the city’s poorest inhabitants", Frigenti added.
While Costa Rica as a whole has an impressive development record, the Atlantic region is lagging behind, with one in five of its inhabitants living in poverty.
The Atlantic port-city of Limon is one of the country’s most decayed cities and suffers from high unemployment and crime rates.
The port of Limon, the busiest port in Central America after Panama, is critical to the competitiveness of Costa Rica’s trade, but has become a major bottleneck to the country’s growth due to lack of reform and inefficiency. The congestion in the port affects the city as heavy freight traffic has to pass through the city center to get to the Limón terminal.
The City-Port of Limón Project will help to address these challenges through support for actions in four key areas:
- Urban and cultural revitalization: Investments focused on rescuing Limón’s unique cultural identity, while improving the city’s urban environment (sewerage, drainage, paving of streets) and attractiveness to visitors.
- Local economic development: Activities to generate new sources of employment and income, seizing the opportunities presented by growing cruise tourism and the historical and cultural richness of Limón.
- Local governance and city-port strategic planning: Technical assistance for the Municipality of Limon to improve its capacity to deliver quality services and to take an active role in the city’s development.
- Support for improving the port environment: Actions to improve transport access to the Limón and Moín port terminals and technical assistance to the Transport Ministry to support the concessions process and transport system for Moín and Limón.
“The City-Port of Limón Project is part of the Government of Costa Rica’s regional development strategy for the province, which also aims to address poverty and social problems,” said Emmanuel James, World Bank task manager for the project. “It has been designed to help develop the capacity of local and central governments to address the needs of lagging regions.”
This US$72.5 million fixed-spread loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is payable in 15 years, including 5 years of grace.
The port city of Limón, on the Caribbean coast, will soon get a revitalization thanks to a loan for us$72.5 million dollars by the World Bank. The revamping is being called the Port-City Limón Project.
The loan is one of three initiatives in the Caribbean coast being pushed by Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, according to a Casa Presidencial press release.
The Limón project is expected to pave the way for the other two projects that will expand social programs in the region and build a mega-port.
The Arias government has put aside us$7.5 million dollars to assist in the renovation that is in addition of the World Bank loan.
According to the World Bank, the loan is to invested in urban centres, providing basic services to the areas poorest inhabitants and help reduce unemployment and raise income levels.
“With its historic center and unique Caribbean identity, Limon has great potential for tourism development but this is not being realized due to limitations in its urban planning and management capacity,” said Laura Frigenti, World Bank Director for Central America.
"This loan will help the city of Limon to diversify its economy and to develop both tourism and trade in a sustainable manner, while creating a more livable environment for the city’s poorest inhabitants", Frigenti added.
While Costa Rica as a whole has an impressive development record, the Atlantic region is lagging behind, with one in five of its inhabitants living in poverty.
The Atlantic port-city of Limon is one of the country’s most decayed cities and suffers from high unemployment and crime rates.
The port of Limon, the busiest port in Central America after Panama, is critical to the competitiveness of Costa Rica’s trade, but has become a major bottleneck to the country’s growth due to lack of reform and inefficiency. The congestion in the port affects the city as heavy freight traffic has to pass through the city center to get to the Limón terminal.
The City-Port of Limón Project will help to address these challenges through support for actions in four key areas:
- Urban and cultural revitalization: Investments focused on rescuing Limón’s unique cultural identity, while improving the city’s urban environment (sewerage, drainage, paving of streets) and attractiveness to visitors.
- Local economic development: Activities to generate new sources of employment and income, seizing the opportunities presented by growing cruise tourism and the historical and cultural richness of Limón.
- Local governance and city-port strategic planning: Technical assistance for the Municipality of Limon to improve its capacity to deliver quality services and to take an active role in the city’s development.
- Support for improving the port environment: Actions to improve transport access to the Limón and Moín port terminals and technical assistance to the Transport Ministry to support the concessions process and transport system for Moín and Limón.
“The City-Port of Limón Project is part of the Government of Costa Rica’s regional development strategy for the province, which also aims to address poverty and social problems,” said Emmanuel James, World Bank task manager for the project. “It has been designed to help develop the capacity of local and central governments to address the needs of lagging regions.”
This US$72.5 million fixed-spread loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is payable in 15 years, including 5 years of grace.
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