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Government sets up 800 lines to serve tourists affected by the strike of truck's drivers By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
As a response of road blockades by striking truck drivers, the government through the Tourism Institute, has set up the line 800-8874766, as well as the cell line 8628-3247 to support the communication between tourists to companies related to tourism (such as hotels, transport, or any other tourists services). According to the statistics of the Institute, in the country now could be hosting 83,000 international tourists, plus thousands of national tourists who are traveling because of the half-year school vacations. "Tourism companies in Costa Rica are composed mostly of small and medium enterprises, which are mostly family businesses," said the Institute in its statement. "We make a call (referring to the truck's drivers), not to harm these Costa Rican families who live on the tourism business, and to up for dialogue to reach agreements with the Government". According to the institute, the income for government from the tourism sector is equivalent to 8.2 percent of the gross domestic product. The Tourist Chamber said it also joins the call of the Institute. In a statement the chamber said it "regrets and condemns the unfortunate attitude of truck drivers and unions to obstruct the fundamental right of free movement of people." At the same time, the chamber called on the government to act firmly against the groups that are blocking the roads and ensure the free transit of citizens and tourists who have been affected by the blocked road. "The tourist activity is one of the engines of the national economy, one of the most important sources of employment, and we are in a season of major arrivals of national and foreign tourists who have the right to travel freely through our country," said Sary Valverde, president of the Tourism Chamber. " This is why we demand from the authorities of Public Security, Transit, Security Ministry, the Institute of Tourism and the president himself not to tolerate these situations any more. " According to the chamber, some companies report delays in the transfers of their customers to their destinations exceeding 10 hours. The chamber also opened an emergency line at 8822-2666, where officers of the chamber will be taking calls 24 hours a day and giving support to tourists who have a problem traveling in the country. ---------------- Have you had any traffic problems in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com |
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