Costa Rica opens its air borders to other Central Americans as of October 15th, according to the Minister of Tourism. The flights from Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama are intended to reactivate the economy.
In 2019, there were 145,000 visits from residents of Central American countries, with the greatest numbers coming from Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama. These visits are important because they represent the majority of business travelers to the nation. When one comes for a congress or conference they usually extend the stay to include tourism, further helping the economy.
Visitors must arrive with a negative covid-19 taken 72 hours in advance and bring or purchase medical insurance that covers medical expenses and extended stays due to quarantine or hospitalization.
Air borders were closed from March 18 to April 12 originally, but the pandemic continued and forced an extension of the closure. Land and sea borders remain closed based on an epidemiological analysis.
Starting this weekend, the Government will allow the reopening of bars and casinos in lodging places, allowing 25,000 people to return to work after seven months of closures. Additionally, beaches are now open longer hours, 5 am-10 pm Monday through Friday and until 8 pm on weekends.
