Costa Ricans Traveling to Cuba in Record Numbers

Cuba has become the new tourist hotspot for travelers from Costa Rica, as the Central American country's tourism to the island grew by 72 percent in 2016, according to La Nacion newspaper.

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The data was obtained from the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners and as stated by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute and the National Chamber of Tourism, the trend is part of the country's diversification of air transportation offers and increased travel discounts to Cuba.

Kathy Garrido, manager of Costa Rican-based Viajes Colon travel and tourist agency, emphasized that the considerable increase in travelers seeking out Cuba as a tourist destination is directly related to additional cruise offers. Apart from Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Aruba have also experienced a marked increase in welcoming travelers from Costa Rica.

Overall, tourism in Cuba is booming. In 2016, the largest island in the Caribbean received a record 4 million visitors. It represents a 13 percent increase over the previous record year for tourism according to Cuba's Ministry of Tourism.

Reservations are a must for visitors who wish to dine at Cuba's most popular restaurants. Also, tourists pouring out of vintage cars crowd the streets of Havana.

However, Washington has once again tightened rules on individual U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba. President Donald Trump announced on June 16 a rollback of some aspects of the deal struck between Cuba and the Barack Obama administration.

Travelers going to the island for non-academic educational purposes will again be required to visit with organized tour groups run by U.S. companies and self-directed, individual travel will be prohibited.

“The previous administration’s easing of restriction on travel and trade does not help the Cuban people, they only enrich the Cuban regime,” Trump said.