Costa Rica; first in tourism competitiveness

Source: Costa Rican Institute of Tourism.

By a third consecutive year, Costa Rica is the most competitive country in matters of tourism of Latin America, according to the 2009 Trips and Tourism world ranking of the World Economic Forum.

For the Minister of Tourism, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, the results of this measurement are of sum importance; especially in times where the competitiveness of the tourism products that are offered are essential in an international market, which is affected by the world crisis and its conditions.

The study valued 133 nations all over the world, a figure that includes three more nations than the 2008 study. The results of the Tourism Competitiveness Ranking located the country in the number 42 of the list, surpassing two seats with relation to the 2008 study and placing Costa Rica above nations such as Brazil (45), Mexico (51) and Puerto Rico (53).

The World Economic Forum considers three important parameters to carry out this measurement: the regulatory framework; the business environment and tourist infrastructure, as well as the cultural, natural and human resources of each country.