Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 1.9 million foreign visitors in 2007, which translates into a relatively high expenditure per tourist of $1000 per trip.. Most of the tourists come from the U.S. and Canada (46%), and the E.U. (16%). In 2005, tourism contributed with 8.1% of the country's GNP and represented 13.3% of direct and indirect employment. Tourism now earns more foreign exchange than bananas and coffee combined.
Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks .
Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism. In terms of 2008 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index ,Costa Rica reached the 44th place in the world ranking, being the first among Latin American countries. Just considering the subindex measuring human, cultural, and natural resources, Costa Rica ranks in the 24th place at a worldwide level, and ranks 7th when considering only the natural resources pillar.
● Skuba diving is a popular activity in tropical tourist locations such as Costa Rica
Beneath the Surface
Snorkeling provides an easy, exciting way to view underwater parks and the marine life they support.
● Skuba on Costa Rica .
Snuba is a method of underwater swimming in which the swimmer uses the swimfins , diving mask , weights , and breathing apparatus commonly used in scuba diving. Snuba is typically used as a form of "introductory diving" (diving done in the presence of a professional, insured guide, and following a very short lesson, but not requiring a SCUBA certification).
● Snorkeling on Costa Rica .
Snorkeling is the practice of swimming at the surface of a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins.
● Sport fishing in Costa Rica.
Sport fishing methods vary according to the area being fished, the species being targeted, the personal strategies of the angler, and the resources available, ranging from the aristocratic art of fly fishing, to the high-tech methods used to chase marlin and tuna.
● Fishing in Costa Rica
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The recreational fishing industry consists of enterprises such as the manufacture and retailing of fishing tackle, the design and building of recreational fishing boats, and the provision of fishing boats for charter and guided fishing adventures.
Big-game fishing is fishing from boats to catch large open-water species such as tuna, sharks and marlin .
● Surfing North Pacific coast of Costa Rica .
Surfing is a surface water sport in which the participant is carried along the face of a breaking wave, most commonly using a surfboard, although wave-riders may make use of kneeboards.
Surfing-related sports such as paddleboarding and sea kayaking do not require waves,
and other derivative sports such as kitesurfing and windsurfing rely primarily on wind for power,
yet all of these tools may as well be used to ride waves.
In tow-in surfing (most often,but not exclusively, associated with big wave surfing), a surfer is towed into the wave by a motorized water vehicle, such as a jetski, generally because standard paddling is often ineffective when trying to match a large wave's higher speed.
