QCOSTARICA – The Cámara Costarricense de Hoteles (CCH) – Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels – reported an occupancy of 70% for Semana Santa (Easter) 2023, after a survey applied to the accommodations associated with the chamber.
This year, Semana Santa runs from Sunday 2 to Sunday 9 April and has the particularity of including a long weekend, since on Monday, April 10, Costa Rica celebrates the holiday “Día de la Batalla de Rivas (Day of the Battle of Rivas)”, which is traditionally on April 11.
The day is also known as “Juan Santamaria day”, commemorating one of Costa Rica’s most famous national heroes.
Flora Ayub, Executive Director of the CCH, commented that the Northern Sone and Central Pacific are the favorite of Semana Santa travel and that many are seeking out formal accommodation to avoid being scammed.
The drop in the US dollar is of particular concern for the tourism sector, a sector that has called on the government and the Central Bank, to state possible layoffs as foreign tourists avoid Costa Rica due to the exchange rate.
For their part, the Cámara Nacional de Turismo (CANATUR) – National Chamber of Tourism – revealed that four out of ten companies intend to reduce their payroll by up to 25% as a result of the drop in the dollar exchange.
