About the Study
Costa Rica ranks 51st among 110 economies in the 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI). It leads Central America and ranks second among nine regional competitors, behind Mexico. Its results are particularly strong in tourism prioritization and sustainability. Price competitiveness, however, is its clearest relative weakness.
A new working paper from the Centro de Estudios del Turismo (CET) examines these contrasts alongside recent Costa Rican data on exchange rates, visitor spending, length of stay and accommodation supply. The analysis compares Costa Rica with regional competitors and with nature, adventure and luxury destinations beyond the Americas.
Costa Rica’s position in Latin America
Costa Rica scores 4.16 out of 7 in the TTDI, above the global average of 4.07. Mexico leads the nine-country comparison group at 4.31, while Colombia follows Costa Rica closely at 4.13. Costa Rica lost two places compared with the recalculated 2024 ranking, even though its score improved by 1.4%.
La distancia entre Costa Rica y Colombia es de apenas 0,03 puntos. Esto permite identificar una posición competitiva sólida dentro del grupo, pero también muestra que pequeñas diferencias en los resultados pueden modificar el orden relativo.
Where Costa Rica performs well—and where it falls behind
Costa Rica ranks fourth worldwide in the TTDI Tourism Sustainability dimension. At the pillar level, it is third in tourism prioritization, sixth in demand sustainability and 14th in environmental sustainability. It also leads its regional comparison group in tourist services and infrastructure.
The weaker results deserve equal attention. Costa Rica ranks 86th in Price Competitiveness, last among the nine regional competitors. Its safety ranking fell from 76th in 2024 to 88th in 2026. Ground and port infrastructure ranks 74th.
The results show a destination with substantial institutional and environmental strengths. They also show why sustainability alone cannot resolve every competitive challenge. Visitors experience the price, safety, transport and quality of an entire trip—not individual index pillars.
How does Costa Rica compare with other nature destinations?
The working paper extends the comparison to New Zealand, Iceland, African safari destinations, Mauritius and destinations in Asia. These comparisons are useful because Costa Rica competes for travelers seeking nature, adventure and high-value experiences, even when the destinations differ in size and tourism model.
How does Costa Rica compare with other nature destinations?
The working paper extends the comparison to New Zealand, Iceland, African safari destinations, Mauritius and destinations in Asia. These comparisons are useful because Costa Rica competes for travelers seeking nature, adventure and high-value experiences, even when the destinations differ in size and tourism model.
How does Costa Rica compare with other nature destinations?
The working paper extends the comparison to New Zealand, Iceland, African safari destinations, Mauritius and destinations in Asia. These comparisons are useful because Costa Rica competes for travelers seeking nature, adventure and high-value experiences, even when the destinations differ in size and tourism model.
How does Costa Rica compare with other nature destinations?
Los resultados del TTDI deben complementarse con información nacional más reciente. Según las encuestas de visitantes no residentes que ingresan por vía aérea del Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), la estadía media pasó de 12,2 noches en 2024 a 10,3 en 2025: una reducción de 15,6 % en un año. En 2019 había sido de 12,6 noches.
Una estadía más corta puede reducir el número total de noches demandadas aun cuando las llegadas se mantengan estables. El estudio estima que, con un crecimiento de aproximadamente 1 % en las llegadas aéreas entre 2024 y 2025, el total de noches de estos visitantes se redujo cerca de 15 %. Esta estimación combina la variación de llegadas con la caída de 15,6 % en la estadía media. El TTDI todavía presenta a Costa Rica entre los países con estadías más largas. Sin embargo, su indicador utiliza datos de UN Tourism correspondientes a períodos anteriores y no es directamente comparable con la encuesta aérea del ICT en unidad, cobertura y período. Por ello, ambos resultados deben leerse con sus respectivas limitaciones.
The signal that the TTDI does not yet fully capture
Costa Rica’s recent change in length of stay is central to the CET analysis. ICT surveys of nonresident air travelers show that the average stay fell from 12.2 nights in 2024 to 10.3 nights in 2025. That is a 15.6% decline in one year.
Why do the ICT and TTDI length-of-stay figures differ?
The TTDI still places Costa Rica seventh worldwide on a length-of-stay indicator of 13.5 days. The ICT’s more recent air-traveler survey reports 10.3 nights in 2025. These are different measures: they differ in units, coverage and reference periods, and the TTDI indicator uses international data with a time lag and multi-year averages.
They should therefore not be treated as competing estimates for the same year. The distinction matters because the recent ICT decline may not yet be fully visible in Costa Rica’s favorable TTDI result for demand sustainability.
What does the complete working paper examine?
The full CET study provides:
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Scores and rankings for Costa Rica and its regional competitors across all 17 TTDI pillars.
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Comparisons with international nature, adventure, safari and luxury destinations.
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Detailed indicators on prices, safety, infrastructure, tourism resources and sustainability.
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Analysis of the exchange rate, visitor spending, length of stay and accommodation supply.
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Methodological notes that distinguish TTDI rankings from direct measures of tourism performance.
The webpage highlights the findings most relevant to a general reader. The working paper contains the full tables, sources and qualifications needed for deeper analysis.
Methodology and Sources
This working paper draws primarily on the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026 report and dataset. The CET compares Costa Rica with eight regional competitors and selected international destinations associated with nature, adventure and luxury travel. Historical TTDI comparisons use the figures recalculated for the 2026 edition.
To examine recent developments in Costa Rica, the analysis also uses visitor surveys and tourism statistics from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), exchange rate data from the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR), and CET research. TTDI scores describe conditions that support tourism development; they do not directly measure tourism performance. Where the paper discusses possible causes of shorter stays, these are CET interpretations, not established causal relationships. Full tables, calculations and source notes are available in the working paper.
Download the complete working paper in English (PDF)
Working paper: Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026: Results for Latin America and Costa Rica’s Position Relative to Its Regional Competitors and International Nature, Adventure and Ultra-Luxury Destinations.
Víctor Umaña, CET Director.
Centro de Estudios del Turismo (CET)
September 2026.