Q Costa Rica
As of October 2025, total tourist visitation showed a decrease of 1.8% compared to the same period in 2024, representing 43,070 fewer tourists. The decline in foreign tourism hits women hardest and affects key sectors such as food service, travel agencies, and accommodation.
Story by Rico
21 November 2025
Q COSTARICA — The decline in tourist arrivals over the past year led to the loss of 22,170 jobs linked to the tourism sector, according to a report by the Economic and Social Observatory of the Universidad Nacional (UNA).
The analysis compares data from the third quarter of 2024 with the same period in 2025, confirming a 1.8% decrease in international tourism.
Between January and October, 2,349,461 tourists entered the country, a figure lower than the 2,392,531 visitors registered a year earlier. The study also warns that the sector has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, when the country had received 2,566,443 tourists by October 2019.
The greatest impact is concentrated in activities that are crucial to the national tourism structure:
- Food and beverage services: -14,217
- Travel agencies and reservation services: -5,579
- Cultural activities: -3,045
- Vehicle rentals: -2,694
- Short-stay accommodation: -2,408
In total, the number of people employed in the sector fell from 189,093 in September 2024 to 166,923 in September 2025. The blow has been especially hard for women, who lost 12,698 jobs, compared to 9,472 fewer jobs for men.
The study indicates that the decline in tourism requires immediate action to reactivate the arrival of foreign visitors and protect the sector that sustains a significant part of the local economy.
Insecurity and exchange rate continues to hit tourism
Among the main reasons for the drop in tourism in Costa Rica is the negative impact of the colón’s appreciation against the dollar and increasing insecurity, factors that directly affect this industry.
The most significant decreases were observed among tourists from the United States and Europe, with variations of -4.1 percentage points (p.p.) and -2.2 p.p., respectively.
For residents of European countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and France—the main sources of tourists to Costa Rica from Europe—growth was relatively low in 2024, particularly in the case of Germany, which experienced a contraction. This implies lower disposable income and, foreseeably, a reduced willingness to travel.
These markets have historically represented approximately 75.0% of total revenue to the country.
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