Efforts have been carried out by the San Jose Municipality as well as non for profit organizations and tourism agencies to promote tourism to the capital city of San Jose, Costa Rica; however, these efforts are faced with a big challenge, the lack of proper infrastructure in San Jose.

From simple things like the lack of street signs and tourist information centers, to sidewalks in bad conditions, garbage, air and sound pollution and insecurity, the existing conditions limit the possibilities of growing urban tourism.

According to an analysis by national daily La Republica, if properly promoted, tourism in San Jose could generate as much as $40 million a year in income if only a 10% of the tourists that visit the country every year stayed two additional nights in the capital city.

Museums, theaters, historic buildings, communities such as Barrio Amon, Barrio Dent, Barrio La California and Barrio Escalante are just some of the many attractions that visitors can enjoy in San Jose.

Despite these limitations, San Jose was included among the top destinations on the rise, in Tripadvisor’s Traveler’s Choice 2018 listing and is the sixth city in Latin America when it comes to the number of tourists that visit according to Global Destination Index 2017 carried out by Mastercard.

“We are not just beaches and forests, now the city experiments a change and more tourists are staying in San Jose. We need security, attractive spaces that offer activities and entertainment”, commented Monica Mendoza organizer of the Escalante Gastronomy Festival.

Considering the potential the city of San Jose has, a national policy that involves the different Ministries and institutions is necessary to really make a change in the right direction in the next few years.