  U.S. airlines
are already processing their permits to resume their
flights to Costa Rica, however, the government still
does not allow the entry
of citizens from that nation and there is no definitive date to do so. - A.M. Costa Rica wire services illustrative photo. |
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 Published Friday, August 14, 2020 Hotel
Chambers asks government
for strategy for opening borders By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Given the interest shown by several international airlines to resume their flights to Costa Rica, the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels (CCH) asked the government on Thursday to clarify the strategy to allow more international flights into the country. According to the Chamber, with a clear strategy to reopen international flights, many of the questions that arose during the initial phase of resuming international flights can be avoided. On Thursday, the Ministry of Health, together with the Tourism Institute announced the resumption of international flights from Japan, Thailand, China, Australia, New Zealand and Uruguay. On Aug. 1, the country reopened Juan Santamaría International Airport to selected international commercial flights. The United States is not on the list of departure flights allowed into the country. The General Directorate of Migration announced that only commercial flights with passengers from the European Union affiliated to the Schengen zone treaty. "In the case of the United Kingdom and Canada, flights will be authorized to enter the country pending new requirements." The Schengen Area, named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement signed in Schengen, Luxembourg, is an area comprising 26 European countries that have officially abolished all passports and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. The 26 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. However, the European Union Council announced that the ban on Costa Rica travelers remains. The list of countries allowed to exchange international flights can be found on the European Union Council website. According to the Chamber, U.S. airlines are already processing their permits to resume their flights to Costa Rica, however, "the government still does not allow the entry of citizens from that nation and there is no definitive date to do so." "It is urgent to define a border opening date, since the airlines, despite the interest they have shown, require time to plan and generate demand (referring to the sale of tickets)," said Javier Pacheco, president Chamber. "Therefore, the faster we can notify of the opening, the faster they can be organized, so that we can secure more tourists for the start of the high season, between November and December." According to Pacheco, the Chamber seeks answers to the following most pressing questions: What are the procedures for the removal of travel restrictions? How will they incorporate new international routes? How will they incorporate more inclusive coordination with the authorities and participation in the process, to avoid any uncertainty for airlines and foreign tourists? The Chamber needs immediate answers to properly prepare for tourists. This is the second Chamber that requests the reopening of flights from the U.S. this month.  Last week, after the reopening of commercial flights on Aug. 1 and due to the exclusion of flights from the United States, the Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce, AmCham, requested the government to allow for the arrival of commercial flights from the northern country. According to AmCham, in 2019 more than 1,300,000 U.S. citizens visited Costa Rica, which could be equivalent to a quarter of the total of tourists that arrived in the country just last year. The ban on commercial flight arrivals from the U.S. limits the arrival of tourists to Costa Rica, AmCham said. With more flights, a higher number of tourists will enter the country to reactivate the tourism sector affected by the covid-19 pandemic. "Most of the airlines that fly to Costa Rica come from the U.S. and provide the highest frequency of direct flights. Historically, U.S. citizens are the largest group of tourists, so it is illogical to exclude them," said Gisela Sánchez, AmCham president. "We believe that by applying the same regulation proposed for other countries, flights should be able to reach our country." AmCham's proposal is under equal conditions, U.S. citizens can present, before their flight, the negative result of their covid-19 test (PCR) and complete the digital epidemiological form of Social Security. In March, the government declared a national state of emergency due to the covid-19 crisis and ordered the closure of all borders, including maritime, land and air. The decree allowed only Costa Ricans and foreign residents to enter the country. ----------------------------- Have you heard of tourists who have tried to enter the country from the United States? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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