Tourism in Costa Rica

The tourism in Costa Rica is one of the main economic sectors and fastest growing in the country and since 1995 is the first source of foreign exchange economy. Since 1999, tourism generates more income for the country than the export of their traditional crops of banana, pineapple and coffee together. The tourism boom began in 1987. There were 329,000 visitors in 1988, increasing to one million in 1999 and reaching 2 million foreign tourists in 2008. This has generated and astounding USD $2.14 billion in foreign currency. In 2005, tourism was responsible for a 13.3% of direct and indirect jobs, and in 2008 contributed 7.2% of GDP of the country and 22.7% of foreign exchange generated by exports.

The main comparative advantage of traveling in Costa Rica is its system of national parks and protected areas; covering about 25% of the country, this is the highest percentage on the planet. It is also estimated to contain 5% of the biodiversity of the world in less than 0.1% of the world's land mass. In addition to the vast flora and fauna, Costa Rica has beaches on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea separated by only a few hundred kilometers. On one trip to Costa Rica, tourists can easily visit volcanoes in the north, multiple national parks, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. In the early nineties, Costa Rica became known as the chief representative ("poster child ") of ecotourism; period in which foreign tourist arrivals reached an average annual growth of 14% between 1986 and 1994. Some well known sites in Costa Rica are:

· Heritage, the Isla del Coco is one of the most outstanding natural destinations of Costa Rica and was one of 77 finalists in the competition for the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

· Manuel Antonio National Park is a popular destination for its four beaches located within a natural environment, Quepos Puntarenas.

· Some of the most visited beaches are Hermosa Beach and Jaco Beach, also known for surfing.

The Legalization of Marijuana in Costa Rica

On April 20^th a group of people will stage a protest in the Plaza de Democracia in San Jose, for the legalization of marijuana. A facebook group, “si a la legalizacion de la majihuana en Costa Rica” has been started to promote the event and the movement. They have 4728 members as of this time, and have 3500 people who have committed to attending the protest on 4/20. Similar protests are being held in Venezuela, the Netherlands, and the US.

Former US President Richard Nixon, started the “war on drugs” 40 years ago, and the group argues that it has been inefficient, a waste of funds and manpower, and that it has actually made the situation much, much worse. The group here in CR, is trying to create awareness that if CR follows the US example, it will create the same volatile situation that Mexico has.

The human rights situation in Mexico has been effected by the United States control policies, established to prevent the trafficking of drugs through Mexico and diminish, or even eliminate the powers of the cartels. The military and police in Mexico have been accused of serious human rights violations, including rape, torture, illegal arrest and the fabrication of evidence. US authorities are reporting an increased number of kidnappings, home invasions and murders, linked to the increasingly powerful drug cartels.

For more information on the planned protest join the group on face book. They have a similar event also planned for May 7^th.