U.S. Top Travel Destination For Costa Ricans

 More and more Costa Ricans are vacationing in the United States. The main points of entry are Miami, Orlando, New York, Los Angeles and Washington. Panama is the second most important destination for vacationing Ticos.
 
 The trend is evident in the statistics of the Cámara Nacional de Turismo (Canatur) which indicates that Nicaragua and Mexico are other favorite destinations for Costa Ricans.
 
 Canatur stats show that the average stay by Ticos is one week and the mid-year school vacation is the biggest travel period outside of Costa Rica.
 
 Records indicate that last July 150.000 Costa Ricans travelled outside of Costa Rica. Canatur says that visiting family or friends, shopping, business and pleasure are the motives for travel, as the North American market offers more options and tourist attractions.
 
 As well, the United States is close, and flight specials and discounts offered by the airlines makes it attractive. Quite a comparison to the high cost and travel time for Europe or South America.
 
 Travelling to Buenos Aires (Brazil) or Madrid (Spain), for instance, is limited by number of flights and airlines providing service to those destinations. The cost is over $1.500 US and takes more than 8 hours.
 
 In contrast, a trip to the U.S. can be as little as 2 hours to Miami or Orlando. The large number of flights offered by the American airlines as well as TACA, Mexicana and Copa, all serving Costa Rica cost as low as a few hundred dollars.
 
 In addition, travel to the U.S. destinations like Miami, New York, Atlanta and Houston, are non-stop. Travel to Europe or South America means more stops and layovers.
 
 Budget airlines like JetBlue and Spirit Air offer no-frills, low cost service to and from Costa Rica and Florida.
 
 Travelling to Cancun, Mexico or Havana, Cuba from Costa Rica is quick and easy by airlines like TACA and Mexicana, who are out of San Jose's international airport.