Costa Rica News – We saw a chain reaction coming in Nicaragua for some time now. Now we can see it clearly, in numbers. The terrible state the country is facing has come to affect tourism, a main source of income for the country and people.
Migration data tracks how many Costa Ricans visit Nicaragua per year. The number dropped 30% in the first seven months of this year with respect to the same period the year before.
The internal conflict has scared off international visitors. They don’t want to travel where their lives would be at risk. This has led to the closing of many businesses and the reduction of income of $230 million from January to June.
Last year, Nicaragua gained popularity among ticos due to it’s great proximity, quality and price plus its natural and cultural beauty. It was actually up 60% from the year before. Once April of this year came about and the conflict started, however, the number of travelers for the month was just 10,684 compared to 29,124 the previous April.
30 percent of restaurants in the country have closed and 70 percent of small hotels have as well. About 90 percent of all operators have at least suspended operations. Many lost jobs. Airlines started reducing the frequency of flights to the country.
