Editing Economy of Costa Rica (section)

==Tourism==
[[Image:Cataract on the Rio Savegre.jpg|thumb|[[Ecotourism]] is key in [[Costa Rica]]'s tourism industry. Shown Savegre River, Talamanca.]]
{{Main|Tourism in Costa Rica}}
With a $1.92-billion-a-year [[tourism]] industry, Costa Rica was the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 2.42 million foreign visitors in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nacion.com/economia/Costa-Rica-registra-millones-turistas_0_1390861044.html|language=es|publisher=Nación|date=2014-01-16|access-date=2014-01-16|title=Costa Rica registró la llegada de más de 2,4 millones de turistas en 2013}}</ref> By 2016, 2.6 million tourists visited Costa Rica. The Tourism Board estimates that this sector's spending in the country represented over US$3.4 billion, or about 5.8% of the GDP.<ref name="news.co.cr2">{{cite web|url=http://news.co.cr/tourism-represents-large-gdp-costa-rica/62237/|title=Tourism Represents 5.8% of GDP in Costa Rica – Costa Rica Star News|date=16 June 2017|website=news.co.cr|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref> The World Travel & Tourism Council's estimates indicate a direct contribution to the 2016 GDP of 5.1% and 110,000 direct jobs in Costa Rica; the total number of jobs [[Indirect jobs|indirectly]] supported by tourism was 271,000.<ref name="wttc.org">{{Cite web |url=https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic-impact-research/countries-2017/costarica2017.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-08-03 |archive-date=2018-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720140155/https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic-impact-research/countries-2017/costarica2017.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Ecotourism]] is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive [[national parks]] and [[protected area]]s around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Honey | first = Martha | year = 1999 | title = Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? | page = [https://archive.org/details/ecotourismsustai00hone/page/5 5] | publisher = Island Press; 1 edition, Washington, D.C. | quote = ...during the 1980s, ...the country transform itself from a low-key destination for nature lovers into the foremost ecotourism destination in the Americas. | isbn = 1-55963-582-7 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/ecotourismsustai00hone/page/5 }}</ref> Other important market segments are adventure, sun and beaches. Most of the tourists come from the U.S. and Canada (46%), and the [[European Union|EU]] (16%),<ref name="ICT06">{{cite web|url=http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/paginas/modEst/estudios_estadisticas.asp?idIdioma=2|year=2006|publisher=Instituto Costarricense de Turismo|access-date=2008-06-06|language=es|title=Informe de Encuestas IV Trimestre 2006. Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaria|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003194453/http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/paginas/modEst/estudios_estadisticas.asp?idIdioma=2|archive-date=2008-10-03}} 2006 Annual Survey from the Costa Rican Board of Tourism (ICT)</ref> the prime market travelers in the world, which translates into a relatively high expenditure per tourist of $1000 per trip.

In the 2008 [[Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report|Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index]] (TTCI), Costa Rica reached the 44th place in the world ranking, being the first among [[Latin American]] countries, and second if the [[Anglophone Caribbean|Caribbean]] is included.<ref>{{Cite web| year = 2008 | url=http://www.weforum.org/pdf/CGR08/Rankings.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.weforum.org/pdf/CGR08/Rankings.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title = The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008| publisher = World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland | editor1-first = Jennifer|editor1-last= Blanke|editor2-first=Thea |editor2-last=Chiesa}}</ref> Just considering the subindex measuring human, cultural, and natural resources, Costa Rica ranks in the 24th place at a worldwide level, and 7th when considering just the natural resources criteria. The TTCI report also notes Costa Rica's main weaknesses, ground transport infrastructure (ranked 113th), and safety and security (ranked 128th).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/marzo/06/economia1451168.html| title=País segundo en competitividad turística en América Latina |newspaper=La Nación|date=2008-03-06|access-date=2007-03-16|language=es}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/marzo/09/opinion1454954.html|title=Podemos ser aún mejores|newspaper=La Nación|date=2008-03-08|language=es|access-date=2007-03-16}}</ref>

The online travel magazine [[Travelzoo]] rated Costa Rica as one of five “Wow Deal Destinations for 2012”. The magazine Travel Weekly named Costa Rica the best destination in Central and South America in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.natureair.com/index.php/2012/02/international-tourism-awards/|title=Costa Rica racks up international awards -|date=16 February 2012|website=natureair.com|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref> In 2017, the country was nominated in the following categories in the World Travel Awards: Mexico & Central America's Leading Beach Destination, Mexico & Central America's Leading Destination and Mexico & Central America's Leading Tourist Board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldtravelawards.com/profile-473-costa-rica-tourism-board|title=Costa Rica Tourism Board on World Travel Awards|website=worldtravelawards.com|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref>