The Costa Rican National Commission for Tourist Safety (CONSETUR) held an extraordinary meeting following the murders of two vacationers this weekend, a Spanish woman in Tortuguero, Pococí, Limón and a Mexican woman in Santa Teresa, Cobano, Puntarenas.

In this meeting, the Minister of Tourism, Maria Amalia Revelo, called on business leaders from the private tourism sector to work proactively alongside the public sector in building and implementing urgent strategies to strengthen short-term security efforts in the most vulnerable tourist destinations.

“We are at a breaking point. Guaranteeing the sustainability of our tourist destination is not just up to the ICT, but rather also the other institutions of the government and key actors in the tourism sector, including business leaders, chambers of tourism and municipalities”, the Minister of Tourism stressed.

The private sector was represented by the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR), the Costa Rican Association of Car Rental Agencies (ACAR), the Guanacaste Chamber of Tourism (CATURGUA), the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels (CCH), the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Operators (ACOT) and the San José Small Hotels Network.

“It is completely clear that in order to be a sustainable tourist destination, we need to be a safe destination. This is a priority issue under my leadership, which has been identified as a strategic focus since I took on this role”, Revelo emphasized.

“This is a task that requires everyone’s participation. It is vital for the private sector to lose their fear of speaking about public safety and take the necessary actions, along with the government, to take care of the destination”, the Tourism Minister added.

Over the last 48 hours, both violent actions against tourists have been directly monitored with great care by Michael Soto, the Minister of Public Safety, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Relations, Lorena Aguilar, and the Minister of Tourism with their respective working teams.

With respect to the direct responsibilities of the ICT, the institution coordinated support for the family and friends of the Spanish tourist, providing transportation, lodging and the services of psychologists. In the case of the Mexican tourist, the family has decided to handle things privately.