Costa Rica recorded 2,919,483 international tourist arrivals in 2024, compared with 2,751,134 in 2023. The increase was 168,349 arrivals, or 6.1% year over year. These figures come from the ICT Anuario Estadístico de Turismo 2024, and the measurement is international tourist arrivals rather than all border crossings or domestic travel.
Contents
- At a glance
- Where visitors came from
- Monthly arrival pattern
- Air travel and the main gateways
- San José airport by month
- Guanacaste airport by month
At a glance
The national total provides the clearest starting point for understanding Costa Rica’s visitor market. In 2024, the country received 2,919,483 international tourist arrivals. In 2023, the corresponding total was 2,751,134. The ICT’s Cuadro 12 reports the year-over-year change as 168,349 additional arrivals, equal to a 6.1% rise.
The monthly total was highest in March, with 350,300 arrivals. February followed with 317,830, while December recorded 306,113 and January recorded 299,194. The lowest monthly total was September, at 123,371. October was also relatively low at 138,330. These are calendar-month arrival counts for 2024, not estimates of the number of visitors present in the country at one time.
Air travel accounted for 2,661,488 arrivals in 2024, according to the ICT’s Cuadro 2. The airport figures below describe arrivals at named gateways, while the national monthly total includes the complete total reported in Cuadro 1. Keeping those scopes separate matters when interpreting Costa Rica visitor statistics.
Where visitors came from
North America was the largest origin region in the ICT’s 2024 breakdown, contributing 1,989,725 arrivals. The United States accounted for 1,621,340, Canada for 272,256, and Mexico for 96,129. The United States was therefore the dominant named country in the available origin figures, while Canada and Mexico formed smaller but clearly identified North American markets.
Europe contributed 485,725 arrivals. Within that regional total, Germany contributed 86,571, France 76,685, the United Kingdom 74,674, Spain 59,201, and Switzerland 26,541. These country counts are reported for 2024 and should not be read as forecasts for a later year.
Central America contributed 235,860 arrivals. Nicaragua was the largest listed Central American source with 95,799 arrivals, followed by Panama with 46,797, Guatemala with 45,576, and El Salvador with 28,258. Honduras contributed 18,710, while Belize contributed 720.
South America contributed 136,466 arrivals. Colombia supplied 31,361, Argentina 28,736, Brazil 21,484, and Chile 19,340. Ecuador contributed 6,716 and Bolivia 1,792. The Caribbean contributed 10,628 arrivals, and the ICT table lists other zones at 61,079 arrivals.
| Origin grouping or country | 2024 arrivals |
|---|---|
| North America | 1,989,725 |
| Europe | 485,725 |
| Central America | 235,860 |
| South America | 136,466 |
| Other zones | 61,079 |
| Caribbean | 10,628 |
| United States | 1,621,340 |
| Canada | 272,256 |
| Mexico | 96,129 |
Source: ICT, Anuario Estadístico de Turismo 2024, Cuadro 12. The regional and country rows are presented as reported categories; country figures should not be added to regional totals unless the table’s classification is being followed exactly.
Monthly arrival pattern
The 2024 national series shows a pronounced seasonal pattern. Arrivals began at 299,194 in January and rose to 317,830 in February before reaching the year’s monthly high of 350,300 in March. April declined to 242,511, and May was lower again at 216,702.
The middle of the year remained above the later low point. June recorded 244,355 arrivals and July 258,942. August fell to 200,996. September was the weakest month at 123,371, followed by October at 138,330. The series then recovered to 220,839 in November and 306,113 in December.
| Month in 2024 | Total international tourist arrivals |
|---|---|
| January | 299,194 |
| February | 317,830 |
| March | 350,300 |
| April | 242,511 |
| May | 216,702 |
| June | 244,355 |
| July | 258,942 |
| August | 200,996 |
| September | 123,371 |
| October | 138,330 |
| November | 220,839 |
| December | 306,113 |
Source: ICT, Anuario Estadístico de Turismo 2024, Cuadro 1. The figures are monthly totals for Costa Rica. They describe arrivals recorded during each month, not occupancy, nights stayed, spending, or the number of distinct people.
For outdoor travel planning, the useful statistical signal is the difference between the stronger arrival months and the lower months. March stands out at 350,300 arrivals, while September stands at 123,371. December’s 306,113 arrivals place it near the stronger end of the annual series. The data alone does not identify why these changes occurred, so causes such as weather, school calendars, prices, or events should not be inferred from this table.
Air travel and the main gateways
Air arrivals totaled 2,661,488 in 2024, according to ICT Cuadro 2. The monthly air series was 270,712 in January, 291,152 in February, and 322,400 in March. It then recorded 221,573 in April, 199,154 in May, 227,452 in June, and 239,368 in July.
Air arrivals declined to 182,800 in August and 105,100 in September. October recorded 122,188, followed by 201,152 in November and 278,437 in December. The air series follows the same broad seasonal shape as the national total, with the highest listed month in March and the lowest in September.
The ICT airport tables identify 1,779,529 arrivals at San José airport in 2024 and 881,289 at Guanacaste airport. These are named-airport arrival totals from Cuadros 15 and 16. They are useful for understanding where international air visitors entered, but they are not a measure of nights spent in San José, Guanacaste, or any other region.
San José airport by month
San José airport recorded 168,839 arrivals in January 2024 and 190,170 in February. March was the airport’s highest listed month, with 206,299 arrivals. The monthly count fell to 144,234 in April and 132,699 in May, then rose to 152,051 in June and 162,543 in July.
August recorded 131,669 San José airport arrivals, followed by 81,853 in September and 91,106 in October. November rose sharply to 176,981, while December recorded 141,085. Across the year, the airport total reported by ICT Cuadro 15 was 1,779,529.
| Month in 2024 | San José airport arrivals |
|---|---|
| January | 168,839 |
| February | 190,170 |
| March | 206,299 |
| April | 144,234 |
| May | 132,699 |
| June | 152,051 |
| July | 162,543 |
| August | 131,669 |
| September | 81,853 |
| October | 91,106 |
| November | 176,981 |
| December | 141,085 |
Source: ICT, Anuario Estadístico de Turismo 2024, Cuadro 15. September was the low point in this airport series, while March was the high point. The monthly pattern is an arrival pattern only; it does not establish how travelers distributed themselves after entering Costa Rica.
Guanacaste airport by month
Guanacaste airport recorded 881,289 arrivals in 2024. January contributed 100,928 arrivals and February 115,998. March recorded 77,298, followed by 66,417 in April, 75,376 in May, and 76,779 in June.
The airport’s July count was 51,106. August was the lowest listed month at 23,209, and September recorded 31,021. Arrivals then increased to 60,017 in October and 101,334 in November. The supplied ICT Cuadro 16 figures identify these monthly counts and the 2024 airport total; a December Guanacaste monthly figure is not included in the supplied facts.
The difference between the two named gateways is visible in the annual totals: San José airport recorded 1,779,529 arrivals, while Guanacaste airport recorded 881,289. Both airport series show lower counts in the late wet-season months represented by August, September, and October, but the data does not provide a causal explanation or a visitor-purpose breakdown.
For readers interested in Costa Rica’s outdoors, these statistics offer a practical scale for the country’s international visitor flow. The strongest national month in the 2024 ICT series was March, the weakest was September, and air arrivals made up the principal recorded entry mode. Origin markets were led by North America, especially the United States, while Europe and neighboring Central American countries also contributed substantial measured arrival counts.