Income Statistics Caribbean of Costa Rica

The Caribbean zone of Costa Rica has been forgotten for a long, long time by the previous governments. With no investment, no jobs or any kind of support, it has been consumed by poverty and lack of opportunities, making Limon the province of the country with less human development. Things have changed about it and most recent administrations have made an effort to provide the tools necessary to improve the whole Caribbean. 

Speaking about tourism in our whole country, 75% of travelers that come to Costa Rica are on vacation and they are about 2+ million of visitors annually. 68% come looking for beaches and ecotourism. Both offered in the Caribbean. 

In 2018, Mesa Caribe was created to make economic progress in Limon and unemployment decreased by 1.1% in the first year. 

Since then, tourism in the Caribbean has been driven mostly because Costa Rica’s Caribbean is full of culture and natural beauty. Limon, among others, have the following advantages:

• Cruise ship dock
• International Airport
• Privileged geographic location (Caribbean) outside the hurricane zone
• Multiculturality and multiethnicity
• Plenty of water
• Large areas of unoccupied land for tourist developments on the coast
• Population with English as a second language
• Beaches, rivers, mountains, national parks, Tortuguero canals, etc.
• Music and gastronomy with a differentiated identity
• Historic Sites (La Uvita Island)
• Exuberant nature and fauna.

In the past, agriculture of banana and pineapple was the activity that generated most of the jobs and income but right now the reality is that it is limited and not enough. Industrial parks and docks are still options but they require big investments and government permits, also to train personnel so it isn’t a great short-term plan but definitely something it should be done.

Now that the country is working to get tourism moving and has invested monetarily, especially in road infrastructure and the cruise ship dock, international investment is needed and very important so cruises come to Costa Rica. In that same direction, more cultural, sports and music events have to be planned there so not only Limon has local but also international tourism. 

Another activity that has recently gained popularity is sport fishing. Caribbean waters are great for it because they have a lot of varieties of fish species and can be done during any season of the year. This is, for sure, boosting hotels and food businesses. 

From July to October, you can experience the sight of turtle spawnings. This amazing experience can be enjoyed by every member of the family. Not to mention the vast number of wild animals that you can observe being there.

During the pandemic, Limon and the Caribbean zone in general were severely affected by the lack of tourism, unemployment and the non existent opportunities to start businesses. But it is recovering.

So many things can be done to better the Caribbean economy but the most important part of it is that the most people visit Limon. You´re invited and most certainty, you will have a great time there!