Business Costa Rica-Tourism Case Study Case Study

Located in the Northern Plains area of Costa Rica, Monteverde is a bit more accessible than some of the other parks and preserves in the country, as well.

Identify the current monetary exchange rate.

The currency is the Costa Rica Colon, and, according to the ONADA.com currency converter, the estimated exchange rate for Tuesday, October 14, 2008 is 1 U.S. Dollar = 560.810 Costa Rican Colon or 1 Costa Rican Colon

CRC) = 0.001783 U.S. Dollar (USD).

Identify what travel documentation is required to enter your chosen country.

There are regulations regarding visas and other documents to enter Costa Rica. You'll need a valid passport with at least one free visa page, and at least six months left before the passport expires. You're also required to have a return airline ticket and at least $200 in cash when you enter the country. All visitors must pay a $26 dollar exit fee when they leave the country, as well ("Costa Rica in Facts," 2008).

Identify and briefly describe three (local) commercial travel providers (in-country) for Costa Rica.

For Tortuguero National Park, a commercial travel provider is Rain Forest Tours & Adventures. They offer Tortuguero tours of the areas many canals, which include chances to see turtles and the rare manatees of the area, and three-night tours that include exploration of the beaches while the turtles are nesting and laying their eggs.

In San Jose, Costa Rica Nature Escape tours offer city tours, tours into the Central Valley to see the volcanoes, and multi-tours that take in many of the sights the country has to offer. Their office is located in downtown San Jose near many of the biggest hotels and tourist attractions.In Monteverde, the Desafio Adventure Company offers tours throughout the Monteverde region with experienced guides. They offer horseback tours in the park, Cloud Forest tours, canopy and bird watching tours, and even coffee tours to explore the rich coffee beans grown in the region. They are also a licensed travel agent so they can create custom tour packages for the region, as well.

Discuss any problems associated with tourism at your selected destinations.

As with many areas, there are theft problems in Costa Rica, especially in the major cities like San Jose. Authorities advise not carrying large amounts of cash or wearing "flashy" jewelry, and they advise against brining American $100 bills into the country, because there are so many of these type of bills that are counterfeit, banks may confiscate them. They advise locking cars and not leaving any valuables in them, as well. Watch out for pickpockets, and don't leave your bags unattended, but otherwise, Costa Rica is relatively safe ("Warnings," 2008).

References

Editors. (2008). Costa Rica in facts. Retrieved 14 Oct. 2008 from the Costa Rica Tourism Web site: http://www.tourism.co.cr/costa-rica-general-info/costa-rica-country-details/costa-rica-in-facts.html.

Editors. (2008). FSBO Costa Rica: Country facts. Retrieved 14 Oct. 2008 from the FSBO-Costa-Rica Web site: http://www.fsbo-costa-rica.com/costa-rica/index.html.

Editors. (2008.) So you've got three days in San Jose. Retrieved 14 Oct. 2008 from the Costa Rica Tourism Web site: http://www.tourism.co.cr/costa-rica-geographical-division/costa-rica-central-valley-region/so-youve-got-three-days-in-san-jose.html.

Editors. (2004). Tortuguero National Park. Retrieved 14 Oct. 2008 from the Costa-Rica-Guide Web site: http://costa-rica-guide.com/Natural/Tortuguero.html.

Editors. (2008). Warnings. Retrieved 14 Oct. 2008 from the Costa Rica Tourism Web….....