Tourism in Costa Rica is one of the fastest growing economic sectors of the country and by 1995 became the largest foreign exchange earner. Since 2004, tourism earns more foreign exchange than bananas and coffee combined.
The tourism boom began in 1987, with the number of visitors up from 329,000 in 1988, through 1 million in 1999, to 1.9 million foreign visitors in 2007,
allowing the country to earn $1.9-billion in that year.
Costa Rica has 26 national parks, 58 wildlife refuges, 32 protected zones,
15 wetland areas/mangroves, 11 forest reserves and 8 biological reserves,
as well as 12 other conservation regions that protect the distinctive and
diverse natural habitats found throughout the country.
● National Parks of Costa Rica .
● Map National Parks of Costa Rica
.
Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index , Costa Rica reached
the 44th place in the world ranking, being the first among
Latin American countries.
National Parks of Costa Rica .
1.Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Isla Bolaños
2.Parque Nacional Santa Rosa y Guanacaste
3.Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja
4.Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro
5.Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Barra del Colorado
y Parque Nacional Tortuguero
6.Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste.
7.Reserva Biológica Lomas Barbudal.
8.Parque Nacional Palo Verde.
9.Parque Nacional Barra Honda.
10.Refugio Silvestre Peñas Blancas.
11. Póas Volcano National Park.
12.Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo.
13.Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional.
14. Cocos Island National Park.
15.Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco.
16.Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Curú.
17.Reserva Biológica de las Islas Guayabo,
Negritos y de los Pájaros
18.Reserva Biológica Carara.
19.Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú.
20.Monumento Nacional Guayabo.
21. Manuel Antonio National Park.
22.Parque Nacional Marino Ballena.
23. La Amistad International Park.
24.Parque Nacional Cahuita.
25.Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo.
26.Reserva Biológica Isla del Caño.
27.Parque Nacional Corcovado.
28.Parque Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito.
29.Parque Nacional Juan Castro Blanco.
30. Arenal Volcano National Park.
31.Parque Nacional Tapantí.
32.Reserva Biológica Hitoy Cerere.
Tenorio Volcano National Park.