Director General of Immigration, Kattia Rodriguez said there is consensus to analyze the possible removal of all advance visas.
Costa Rica will eliminate the visa requirement for citizens of Russia, in a move intended to boost tourism from that country. The decision was announced yesterday by the Ministry of the Presidency, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and the Directorate General of Immigration.
The tourism industry is also calling on officials to remove all visa requirements for citizens of South American nations. On the issue of visitors from Colombia, Isabel Vargas, president of the National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur) is silent. However, she did say it is necessary to balance between economic interests with security.
According to industry experts, the average Russian visitor to Costa Rica has more than $ 120,000 in annual income, spends between $2,500 and $5,000 during their stay, which is on average 11 days. They also prefer sun and beach destinations. Last year 4,146 Russian tourists visited Costa Rica. Accoridng to Tourism Minister, Allan Flores the Dominican Republic, receives 45,000 annual travelers from Russia, and do not require an advance visa.