Costa Rica started developing its tourist activity since 1930, a fact that has significantly marked its direction for several decades. Furthermore, the fact that it possesses an outstanding 6% of world's total biodiversity, the existence of great areas of tropical forests and volcanoes, as well as an affinity to tourists and the ability to quickly travel from coast to coast, has favored it to be one of the preferred ecological and nature hotspots. This magical combination, along with its large sun beach extensions, are earning for the country over $1.2 billion in foreign exchange reserves annually.

Real estate developments have been seen rising from $500,000 to $3 billion in value, including golf courses and marinas, while hotel infrastructure investment for 2003 tallied over $130 billion. Among the biggest hotel chains that have established important tourism operations in Costa Rica are Four Seasons, InterContinental, Marriot, Holiday Inn, Best Western, Barceló and Sol Meliá. Employment levels for the industry as a whole are currently estimated at 86,000 people.