Published on Monday, October 7, 2024

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in Alajuela Province now offers a gaming center for bored travelers as an option to pass the time.

The SJO Gaming Center is the first airport video gaming lounge in Central America and offers Formula 1 simulator games, virtual reality games, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC home video game consoles, with more than 30 games to choose from.

According to AERIS, the Brazilian firm that manages the airport, the new amenity goal is to provide visitors with an entertainment experience while they wait for their flights.

The gaming area, located in boarding hall 4, is open to all passengers above the age of 12 and offers pay-per-use options. Users can reserve a gaming station in advance and eat and drink on-site.

SJO has free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly areas, charging points, self-check-in kiosks, restaurants, souvenir shops, luggage packing services, restrooms, duty-free shopping and VIP lounges.

As of August, SJO served approximately 4.3 million arriving and outgoing passengers.

Many international airlines are increasing the frequency of their flights to Costa Rica. The Texas-headquartered airline, Southwest, recently launched more flights between the U.S. and SJO airport.

Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Costa Rica. As of July, over 1.7 million tourists arrived via air, representing a 13.5% increase over the same period in 2023.

The country reported a new tourism record reached in 2023, with more than 2,4 million travelers.

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What types of new services and amenities should be offered at SJO to improve passenger experience? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com