US Teams Up With Canada and More to Drive a Massive Surge in Costa Rica Travel Demand During the First Nine Months of 2026

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The US teams up with Canada and more markets to drive a massive surge in Costa Rica travel demand during the first nine months of 2026, with projections supported by Canada’s 24.1% growth and a 5.3% overall rise in arrivals through August.

Costa Rica recorded approximately 2.19 million international stopover visitors between January and August 2026, marking a 5.3% increase over the corresponding period in 2025. The United States remained the country’s largest source market, while Canada delivered a 24.1% year-on-year increase and Mexico registered growth of 7.6%. Together, these three North American markets accounted for more than 70% of the country’s international stopover visitors, highlighting their importance to Costa Rica’s tourism industry.

Costa Rica Welcomes More Than 2.19 Million Visitors in First Eight Months of 2026

Costa Rica’s international tourism market recorded positive growth during the first eight months of 2026, supported by higher visitor numbers from several important overseas markets.

The supplied year-to-date visitor figures show that the country received 2,191,432 international stopover visitors between January and August 2026, compared with 2,081,983 during the same period in 2025.

This represents a year-on-year increase of 5.3%, equivalent to 109,449 additional visitors.

The United States, Canada and Mexico remained major contributors to this performance. Their combined visitor numbers reached 1,535,026, up from 1,452,367 during January–August 2025.

Together, these three countries represented approximately 70.1% of Costa Rica’s total international stopover market in 2026.

United States Remains Costa Rica’s Largest International Source Market

The United States continued to dominate Costa Rica’s international visitor arrivals, contributing 1,232,794 stopover visitors between January and August 2026.

This compared with 1,200,185 visitors during the corresponding period in 2025, representing an increase of 2.7%.

American travellers accounted for 56.3% of Costa Rica’s total international stopover visitors in 2026, compared with 57.6% a year earlier.

Although the United States recorded an increase in absolute visitor numbers, its share of the overall market declined slightly as other international markets expanded at a faster pace.

Despite this shift, the United States remained Costa Rica’s largest source market by a considerable margin.

Canada Records Strongest Growth Among Three Major North American Markets

Canada emerged as the fastest-growing market among the United States, Canada and Mexico during the January–August reporting period.

Costa Rica welcomed 232,949 Canadian stopover visitors in 2026, compared with 187,781 during the same period in 2025.

This represented a substantial 24.1% year-on-year increase, adding 45,168 visitors.

Canada’s share of total international stopover visitors also increased from 9.0% in 2025 to 10.6% in 2026.

The figures underline Canada’s growing contribution to Costa Rica’s international tourism performance.

Canada also recorded the largest percentage increase among the three North American markets examined, significantly exceeding the growth rates registered by the United States and Mexico.

Mexico Strengthens Its Contribution to Costa Rica’s Tourism Market

Mexico also recorded positive growth in international stopover visits to Costa Rica during the first eight months of 2026.

Visitor numbers from Mexico increased to 69,283, compared with 64,401 during January–August 2025.

The figures represent a 7.6% year-on-year increase.

Mexico’s share of Costa Rica’s international visitor market rose marginally from 3.1% to 3.2%.

Although Mexico contributed fewer visitors than the United States and Canada, its growth rate exceeded that of the American market.

Together, the three countries provided a substantial share of Costa Rica’s international tourism demand.

Costa Rica Visitor Arrivals from the US, Canada and Mexico in 2026

The following figures reflect actual reported stopover visitors during January–August 2026.

January to Mid-October 2026 Projections Suggest Continued Growth

An indicative projection based on the January–August figures places combined stopover visitor numbers from the United States, Canada and Mexico at approximately 1.82 million between 1 January and 15 October 2026.

The projection assumes that each market maintains its average monthly visitor volume recorded during the first eight months of the year.

Under this calculation, the United States could contribute approximately 1.46 million visitors, followed by Canada with around 276,600 and Mexico with approximately 82,300.

These figures are projections rather than confirmed September or October arrivals. They do not account for seasonal changes in travel demand, which means actual visitor numbers could differ from the estimates.

The available figures establish year-on-year growth for January–August as a whole, rather than confirmed increases in every individual month.

Other International Markets Add to Costa Rica’s Tourism Growth

Beyond North America, several European and Latin American markets also contributed to Costa Rica’s international visitor numbers.

Germany recorded 59,646 visitors between January and August 2026, an increase of 5.9% compared with the previous year.

France contributed 55,923 visitors, representing growth of 4.4%, while Spain recorded 45,111 visitors, up 10.5%.

Italy registered a particularly strong percentage increase of 32.3%, with visitor numbers rising from 12,918 in 2025 to 17,089 in 2026.

The Netherlands also reported growth of 12.5%, reaching 29,817 visitors.

However, not every international market experienced growth. Nicaragua recorded a 6.4% decline, while Guatemala registered a 9.3% decrease.

These differences illustrate how Costa Rica’s tourism performance varied across individual source markets despite the overall increase in international arrivals.

Costa Rica’s Tourism Outlook Remains Positive as North American Markets Expand

Costa Rica’s January–August 2026 figures demonstrate the continuing importance of the United States, Canada and Mexico to its international tourism market.

The United States maintained its position as the largest contributor, Canada recorded the strongest percentage growth among the three countries, and Mexico continued to expand its visitor numbers.

The combined growth of these markets helped support the country’s overall 5.3% increase in international stopover visitors during the first eight months of 2026.

The US teams up with Canada and more markets to drive a massive surge in Costa Rica travel demand during the first nine months of 2026, with projections supported by Canada’s 24.1% growth and a 5.3% overall rise in arrivals through August.

The latest confirmed figures show a growing international visitor market, while the January–mid-October projections indicate how arrivals could develop if earlier monthly averages are sustained. Official figures for September and October will be needed to establish the actual performance over the longer period.