Costa Rica’s tourism industry continues its robust upward trajectory. The first half of this year registered highly positive figures, welcoming 1,605,360 tourists by air. This milestone represents a solid 7.8% increase compared to the same period last year, reinforcing the country’s position as a premier global destination.

North America Continues to Lead Inbound Traffic

From January to June 2026, North America remained the primary source market, recording the arrival of 1,210,654 tourists by air—an 8.1% growth compared to the first semester of 2025.

A closer look at the country-by-country breakdown reveals impressive performance metrics across major markets:

• United States: Maintained its status as the top sender with 966,661 tourists, representing a 4.9% increase year-over-year.
• Canada: Showed exponential growth, surging by 26.5% to reach 197,528 tourist arrivals.
• Mexico: Contributed 46,465 visitors, marking an upward shift of 8.4%.

“We receive these figures with satisfaction, but at the same time with caution, keeping an eye on the current global context and varied geopolitical situations as we head into the second half of 2026,” stated Marcos Borges, Executive President of the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT). “During this second semester, the ICT will continue to promote the country through innovative actions, intensifying the attraction of new air connections and flights from our main and emerging markets. We are also working alongside the private sector to improve the tourism product, diversify into new segments, and strengthen service quality with the essence of Pura Vida.”

Accelerated Growth in the European Region

European arrivals also experienced a significant boost during the first six months of the year, with 236,462 tourists entering the country by air. This translates to a 9.7% expansion compared to H1 2025.

Key European markets performed as follows:

• Spain: Led growth in the region with an outstanding 16.8% increase, totaling 24,910 arrivals.
• Netherlands: Surged by 18.6%, accounting for 16,380 travelers.
• Germany: Grew by 9.8% with 40,916 arrivals.
• Switzerland: Notched an 8.3% increase with 11,875 tourists.
• France: Rose by 4.0%, bringing in 40,178 visitors.
• United Kingdom: Stood out as the sole market experiencing a marginal contraction of -0.2%, with 36,263 tourist arrivals.

Analyzing June’s Temporary Micro-Fluctuation

According to official ICT records, June 2026 saw 214,518 air arrivals, representing a minimal 1.2% dip compared to June 2025.

Industry analysts and the ICT note that this minor adjustment is multi-faceted. Key factors include ongoing geopolitical adjustments, rising international jet fuel prices, and the massive concentration of sports fans staying home or traveling internally for the global Soccer World Cup—particularly in the United States and Mexico, where travelers preferred to remain in their host nations during the peak of the tournament.

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