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 Santamaría International Airport shows signs of deceleration.
The total from January to May 2026 reaches 1,390,842 air arrivals, representing a 9.4% increase compared to the same period in 2025, also setting a new historical record for that interval.
San José loses traction in May, but Europe sustains the flow
Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) recorded 126,053 arrivals in May, a 1.4% year-on-year decline, breaking the positive trend of previous months. Nevertheless, the year-to-date total remains in positive territory, with a 6.4% growth and 864,558 tourists.
The decline was mainly marked by the U.S. market, which fell by 7.3% in May, dragging North America down by 4.7% in this terminal. This behavior contrasts with the evolution of other markets.
Europe, on the other hand, has consolidated as the main growth engine in SJO, with a 16.3% increase in May and a cumulative +11.4% so far this year. The increases of Germany (+30.2%), Italy (+29.2%), Poland (+20.8%), the Netherlands (+18.8%), and Spain (+6.8%) stand out. The United Kingdom also showed a 13.1% increase.
Canada also reinforces its role as a key market for the capital terminal, with a 16.2% growth in May.
Liberia consolidates its leadership in growth
The Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia continues to be the main driver of air tourism expansion in the country. In May, it received 69,430 tourists, a 12.1% year-on-year increase, while the cumulative total from January to May amounts to 525,751 arrivals, 14.6% more than in 2025.
The growth is strongly concentrated in the North American market, which represents 97% of the total passengers at this terminal. Canada stands out with a cumulative increase of 33.4%, while the United States grows by 10.7%, compensating for the decline recorded in SJO.
The European market in Liberia, although minor, showed a contraction of 8.2% in May, with significant declines in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Belgium, reinforcing the airport’s profile as an almost exclusive gateway for sun and beach tourism.
An increasingly segmented market
The ICT data confirms a structural trend: Costa Rica is growing, but with an increasingly differentiated distribution by airport and visitor profile.
Liberia is consolidating its position as the main entry point for American tourism linked to beach products in Guanacaste. San José, for its part, maintains its relevance for European and Canadian tourism associated with nature, adventure, and cultural experiences, although it is facing a temporary slowdown in the U.S. market.
Despite these differences, the country maintains a sustained positive trajectory, with five consecutive months of growth and a start to the year that marks a historic record in international arrivals by air.
