Costa Rica was ranked in the 41st place regarding global tourism competitiveness, achieving the second best position in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a report conducted by the World Economic Forum in which 124 countries were evaluated. The only other country in the region that obtained a higher ranking was the island of Barbados, which was positioned in 29th place. After Costa Rica, Chile ranked in 45th place, Mexico came in 49th place, Dominican Republic in 50th place, Brazil came in 59th place, and Argentina in 64th place. The publication emphasized on Costa Rica’s natural protected areas, its biodiversity and abundance of other attractions such as beautiful beaches and volcanoes. Costa Rica’s government policies regarding the development of tourism positioned the country in the 17th place out of a total of 124 countries.

The country’s ranking was also increased thanks to the country’s willingness to negotiate bilateral agreements of air services, the attainable requirements for foreigners to obtain a visa and the favorable environment regarding foreign investment. The World Economic Forum defined the level of tourist competitiveness based on a group of advantages that allow every nation to be different from others in this kind of industry. This first analysis of the World Economic Forum included attractions for tourists from each country as well as other factors that either contribute or diminish the development of the tourist industry in every evaluated nation. Among the main aspects that were analyzed in the Forum, there are the level of government policies to foster tourism, environmental standards, infrastructure and safety. Moreover, health and hygiene were also evaluated, as well as the quality of air and land transportation, the price of services, and the level of natural and cultural resources of each destination.