128Canopy Blog

New Tourism Tax to be Charged on Airline Tickets

The Costa Rican tourism authorities have announced that they will implement a new method to collect tourism taxes which will replace the current one.

Authorities have decided to eliminate the 3% hotel tax and replace it by charging a $15 fee on all airplane tickets issued to Costa Rica.  The reason authorities have decided to eliminate this tax and charge the ticket fee is because a considerable amount of income has been lost since many tourists stayed at certain properties which were not required to pay taxes.

The Costa Rican Board of Tourism (ICT) showed that for the year 2006, an approximate $8 million were collected from the 3% hotel tax.  With the $15 ticket charge, the ICT expects to bring in an approximate $18 million per year.

The ICT is in need of fresh funds in order to efficiently promote Costa Rica as a tourist destination.  With this new tax collection, authorities will be able to collect funds without any problems.  In addition, new funds will allow for the development of new tourism projects and attractions.

The $15 airline ticket charge will be waived for transit passengers through Costa Rica.

Costa Rica’s second International Airport in Liberia was recently chosen by Continental Airlines to place the country’s first E-Service Kiosks. These self serviced terminals will allow for a significant reduction in waiting time for the passengers.

A total of 6 kiosks were installed at the Liberia International Airport and will allow for passengers to register, book flights and review a variety of services offered by Continental Airlines.

Not only will these self service terminals reduce waiting time in roughly 30% for the passenger, it will also allow for Continental Airlines representatives to give a more personalized assistance according to the passengers’ needs.

The E-Service terminals are equipped with an easy to use touch screen from which passengers can print their boarding pass, book same day flights, purchase tickets booked at a travel agency, register their luggage and even select or change their seat number.

The system counts with a multi language interface which includes English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese and a simplified or traditional Chinese option.

The kiosks can only be activated by the magnetic band on any of the passengers ID or Credit Cards. The system will only read the cardholder’s name in order to pull up his or her reservation. There are certain limitations to the use of the Kiosk such as combined airline itineraries, minors traveling alone and people with excessive luggage.

The Liberia International Airport has rapidly gained popularity and acceptance among travelers due to its proximity to all major Pacific Beaches and resorts in Costa Rica.

At Nature Air, they believe travelers hold a unique perspective on the destinations they visit. Travellers go to great lengths—literally—to climb, snorkel, cruise, walk or fly to the exotic destinations of Mesoamerica.

At Nature Air, they’ve also got a different perspective on the places you want to go. And that’s what inspires them to create a different type of airline, an airline that benefit the destinations they fly to.

Since 2004, Costa Rican Airline Nature Air has been the world’s first and still only airline to voluntary offset 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions by conserving tropical forests in Costa Rica. Every flight you take goes towards the protection of these ecosystems.

Nature Air also supports their own Nature Kids Foundation, an English language program that teaches lower income Costa Rica children conversational English and environmental protection.

At Nature Air, they see you’ve got places to go. That’s why they’re up there, looking out for those places.