Costa Rica is re-opening its borders to UK travellers from 1 August 2020, following their nearly four-month closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The UK has been included in Costa Rica’s list of low-risk countries together with Canada and those nations from the EU and Schengen area.

A gradual revival of the tourism industry and safeguarding sanitary measures is the objective of the phased re-opening to international commercial flights. Costa Rica’s new tourism minister, Gustavo Segura, said: “We expect to receive fewer than five commercial flights per week at the outset. However, these are drops of hope for more than 600,000 people who directly or indirectly depend on the tourism industry.”

To allow visitors to enter Costa Rica, a negative result of the PCR Covid-19 test will be mandatory in the 48 hours prior to the trip. On arrival, visitors will need to complete a digital epidemiological form and purchase travel insurance that covers accommodation in case of quarantine and medical expenses for acute illness. Costa Rica’s two international airports, Juan Santamaría in San José and Daniel Oduber in Liberia, have also added new health measures for all passengers arriving into the country.

Its sector-wide recovery efforts – including the 16 health protocols that the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) recently launched – have just been recognised by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

The organisation has given Costa Rica its Safe Travels stamp – the world’s first global safety and hygiene stamp – which allows travellers to identify destinations and businesses which have adopted the global standardised health and hygiene protocols. WTTC’s Safe Travels scheme is supported by World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The country received 78,562 visitors from the UK in 2019.