The new guidelines of the Natura 2000 network aim to balance the flow of visitors in 27,000 protected sites that generate up to 85 billion euros a year. Spain is leading a coordinated response alongside European powers to curb the impact of excessive tourism on its most fragile ecosystems. The plan implements a series of mandatory guidelines starting this year to manage the flow of people in more than...

San José, June 19 (elmundo.cr) – Costa Rica closed May 2026 with a 3.0% growth in the arrival of tourists by air, reaching 195,571 international visitors compared to 189,881 in the same month of the previous year, according to data from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT). However, market behavior reveals an increasingly marked trend: while Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia...

Costa Rica closed May 2026 with a 3.0% growth in the arrival of tourists by air, reaching 195,571 international visitors compared to 189,881 in the same month of the previous year, according to data from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT). However, market behavior reveals an increasingly marked trend: while Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia is accelerating strongly, Juan...

The extension of Juan Santamaría Airport buries, for the moment, the concept of a passenger terminal at Orotina, as suggested explicitly during the administration of former President Luis Guillermo Solís. Orotina’s infrastructure would be a long-term development that would replace Juan Santamaría when it could no longer maintain pace. The Government is rather hoping that the extension work already...

UNA report indicates that these destinations feature exclusive tourist enclaves separated from local communities.A report from the Observatory of Tourism, Migrations, and Sustainability of the Chorotega Region (Obtur) identified a tourism development model in Guanacaste characterized by the creation of exclusive enclaves that coexist with local communities without integrating. The analysis, focused on...

"It is a major setback for protecting the coasts, ecosystems, and the rights of the communities," they said.A total of 70 social organizations and more than 170 people said they did not support the comprehensive reform project to the Law on the Maritime Terrestrial Zone (File No. 22,553). This project was proposed in the previous Legislative Assembly by the social Christian and current Costa Rican...

Fabián Silva Gamboa, a constitutional lawyer who advises President-elect Laura Fernández, suggested a change to the Political Constitution that would let the US build military bases in Costa Rica. He said that the approach will help fight drug trafficking and organized crime more effectively. Silva said that the sites may be built in coastal provinces like Limón, Puntarenas, and Guanacaste, which...

The country was honored with the Healthy Places 2025 award in recognition of its initiatives concerning health, nature, and active lifestyles. Costa Rica was honored as the Best International Destination at the Healthy Places 2025 Awards, sponsored by Men’s Health and Women’s Health in Spain. The award acknowledges destinations that foster comprehensive wellness, active lifestyles, engagement...

The Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels (CCH) says that hotels across the country expect an average occupancy rate of 77% for the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026. This is the lowest estimate for the period since 2022, when expectations were between 84% and 85%. The poll included properties of all sizes and in all areas, and 69% of them had already made reservations. Last year, forecasts hit 85%, which...

In Rajasthan's sun-burned plains, where the earth cracks under the unrelenting heat and dry winds sweep across endless stretches of sand, most people see desolation. However, Bhuvnesh Ojha sees potential in every arid area—the promise of life, shade, and rebirth. Ojha, who is referred to as the "Jungle Man of Rajasthan," has devoted his life to turning wastelands into flourishing ecosystems,...