US, Canada, and More Drive Record Tourism Growth in Costa Rica as Warning Signs at San Jose Airport Come Into Focus

Written By: Subhadip Dey

Subhadip Dey

I'm Subhadip Dey, a passionate traveler, wanderer, and travel journalist dedicated to bringing you the latest updates from popular destinations around the world. I love exploring new places, discovering unique experiences, and sharing insightful travel guides, tourism news, and destination stories. Follow me to stay informed about the latest travel trends, must-visit destinations, and everything happening in the world of travel.

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June 29, 2026 14:15 GMT+5:30

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Costa Rica is enjoying a powerful tourism upswing, and the numbers are strong enough to justify the headline. Costa Rica tourism growth reached a record first five months in 2026, driven heavily by the US, Canada and a wider mix of European and regional markets. Yet beneath that success, a softer performance at San Jose airport is raising an important strategic question for the country’s main gateway. National demand is rising, but Juan Santamaria International Airport is not growing as quickly as Guanacaste Airport, and in May it actually slipped year on year. That does not mean a crisis. It does mean travellers, airlines and tourism businesses should pay close attention.

Costa Rica tourism growth is setting the pace in 2026

A record first five months for international arrivals

The official data from the Costa Rican Tourism Board show that the country welcomed 1,390,842 international tourists by air between January and May 2026. That was up from 1,271,888 in the same period of 2025 and above 1,304,991 in 2024, making it the strongest first five months in the series shown in the ICT data. Across all entry modes, Costa Rica received 1,502,896 international tourists in the first five months of 2026, compared with 1,387,405 a year earlier. May alone brought 195,571 air arrivals, a 3.0% year-on-year increase, while total arrivals by all modes reached 213,089, up 3.5%.

This matters because it confirms that Costa Rica is not relying on a single seasonal spike. January, February and March all posted double-digit growth in air arrivals, while April and May still stayed positive despite a tougher comparison base. The pattern points to resilient destination demand, not just a one-off surge. It also shows that Costa Rica’s eco-tourism, beach, adventure and wellness appeal continues to resonate across long-haul and short-haul markets alike.

The US remains dominant, Canada is rising sharply, and Europe is reinforcing demand

The biggest driver remains North America. From January to May 2026, Costa Rica received 1,064,735 tourists from North America across all entry modes. The United States alone contributed 827,614 arrivals, while Canada added 195,790 and Mexico supplied 41,331. That means the US is still by far Costa Rica’s largest feeder market, but Canada is becoming even more important, with official year-on-year growth rates that outpaced the US through the first five months.

Europe is also playing a critical supporting role. The ICT data show 242,714 European arrivals in the first five months of 2026. The leading European source markets were Germany with 44,558, France with 41,275, the United Kingdom with 37,055, Spain with 22,424 and the Netherlands with 17,288. South America added 71,225 visitors, led by Argentina, Colombia and Brazil. In practical terms, Costa Rica is being fuelled by a diversified inbound mix, but the real engine is still the combination of the US and Canada.

The warning sign at San Jose airport is not a collapse, but it is clear

San Jose airport is still the main gateway

The first thing to note is that Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) remains Costa Rica’s primary air gateway. From January to May 2026, it handled 864,558 international tourist arrivals, compared with 525,751 at Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia. That means SJO still accounted for the majority of Costa Rica’s inbound air tourism volume in the first five months. The official Visit Costa Rica platform also identifies SJO as the country’s main international airport, located in Alajuela near San José.

Even so, the growth gap is telling. SJO’s first-five-month total rose from 812,470 in 2025 to 864,558 in 2026, an increase of about 6.4%. LIR, by contrast, climbed from 458,955 to 525,751, a much faster increase of about 14.6%. In other words, Costa Rica’s tourism growth is real, but Liberia is capturing it at a quicker pace than San José. That is the core warning sign hidden inside the national success story. It suggests a shift in traveller preference toward the Guanacaste gateway and the tourism products it serves.

May exposed the gap more clearly

The clearest sign came in May. SJO received 126,053 international tourist arrivals in May 2026, down from 127,866 in May 2025, a decline of 1.4%. LIR, however, rose from 61,961 to 69,430 in the same month, an increase of 12.1%. So while Costa Rica as a whole still posted growth, its main airport moved in the opposite direction. That does not cancel the bigger tourism boom, but it does show that growth is becoming more uneven by gateway.

A closer look at SJO’s market mix explains part of the issue. At SJO, North American arrivals in May fell 4.7%, and arrivals from the United States alone dropped 7.3%. Since the US remains Costa Rica’s single most important source market, even a modest slowdown through SJO has an outsized effect on the airport’s total performance. By contrast, LIR is benefiting more directly from resort and beach-oriented traffic tied to Guanacaste and surrounding leisure regions. That is an inference from the official arrival data and the official airport role descriptions, but it is a reasonable one.

Why San Jose airport still matters to Costa Rica’s wider tourism strategy

Connectivity remains strong

The softer May figures do not mean SJO is losing relevance. AERIS, the airport operator, said Juan Santamaria handled more than 6.4 million international passengers in 2025, the highest figure in its history. It also reported that the airport connects Costa Rica with 37 destinations through 25 international airlines and two domestic carriers. That is still a major strategic asset for the country’s tourism economy.

AERIS has also highlighted seasonal route support that strengthens SJO’s inbound appeal. In late 2025, the airport announced the return or launch of seasonal services linked to London, Amsterdam, Montreal and Toronto, reinforcing access from the UK, Netherlands and Canada. Those are all strategically important tourism markets for Costa Rica. So the warning sign is not about disappearing connectivity. It is about ensuring that SJO converts strong national demand into stronger airport performance.

The bigger issue is where future growth lands

The data suggest that future tourism growth in Costa Rica may continue to tilt toward Liberia unless San José keeps strengthening its appeal, route network and catchment relevance. That matters because SJO is the natural gateway for the Central Valley, and it also serves many travellers heading to broader inland itineraries. If growth concentrates too heavily at LIR, Costa Rica’s airport system may become more geographically imbalanced, with beach and resort flows outperforming multi-region and urban-linked travel through the capital gateway. That is not necessarily negative, but it is a strategic issue tourism planners will want to watch closely.

What travellers should know before booking Costa Rica

Choose the right airport for your itinerary

For travellers, the most practical takeaway is simple. SJO is the better choice if your trip is centred on San José and the Central Valley. LIR is the more natural entry point for tourism in Guanacaste, and the official Visit Costa Rica site also says it is widely used for trips connected to Monteverde and La Fortuna. Picking the right airport can save transfer time and improve the overall trip.

Know the entry basics and departure rules

Costa Rica says a valid passport is mandatory for entry. Depending on nationality, a visa may also be required, but citizens of the USA, Canada and most European countries can enter without a visa. The official tourism guidance also says travellers should carry proof of onward travel and evidence of economic means. On the departure side, Costa Rica notes that the US$29 departure tax is included in most airline tickets, but if it is not included, travellers must pay it before leaving.

Expect a strong flight market, but compare gateways

Costa Rica’s two main airports receive hundreds of flights a month, and the country continues to market itself through a broad network of air links. That means travellers should compare both San Jose airport and Guanacaste Airport when planning a trip. In many cases, the best fare or the best arrival point will depend less on the country and more on the specific region of Costa Rica you want to explore. With growth now leaning more strongly toward Liberia, that comparison is becoming more important than ever.

Conclusion

Costa Rica’s tourism story in 2026 is clearly positive. Costa Rica tourism growth is running at record pace, with the US, Canada and a wider mix of European and regional markets pushing arrivals higher. Yet the data also show that the boom is not evenly distributed. Juan Santamaria International Airport is still the country’s main gateway, but its momentum has been softer than Liberia’s, and May exposed that gap sharply. For travellers, that is not bad news. It is useful news. It means choosing the right airport matters more, understanding entry rules matters more, and watching route patterns matters more. Costa Rica is still winning. The more interesting question now is which airport benefits most from that victory.