(ICT Press Release, with additional reporting from The Costa Rica Star) – United States travel operator Apple Vacations recently announced the incorporation of a Saint Louis, Missouri-Liberia, Guanacaste route, that will be operated by XTRAirways, using a Boeing 737-400, with capacity for up to 150 passengers.

Hermes Navarro, Chief of Investment Attraction for the National Tourism Board (Spanish initials: ICT), explained that in this case, the operation of the charter flights are of great importance for a destination since they can facilitate the testing of a new market for airlines hoping to expand their operations permanently provided there are excellent results, as have already occurred. This type of operation mobilized close to 70 million passengers to the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) last year alone.

With this, Navarro indicated that there are extremely seasonal markets indicating that during certain months of the year, passengers do not fly because of work, thus making charter flights more effective. “For our country it is important because in any case there is more tourism-generated revenue, incentivizing employment and promoting future visits from family and friends,” ensured Navarro.

The flight will operate between Saint Luis, Missouri – Liberia, Guanacaste, from March 18 to August 5, 2016, since the company receives a high demand from the Saint Louis market, considering that tourists continue flying, even after Spring Break (Holy Week).

In addition to the above-mentioned Saint Louis flight, Apple Vacations will also offer charter flights between Chicago as well as an additional weekly flight from Minneapolis during the high tourist and vacation season, which starts in November and runs until late April.

As recently reported by The Costa Rica Star, Canadian airline WestJet also announced new flights between Calgary and LIR. The international airport in Guanacaste is becoming a strong favorite among travelers from the United and Canada, especially for those who have already visited Costa Rica before and wish to skip San Jose. LIR officials estimate that airport operations will handle nearly 19,000 passengers per month starting this November, which indicates an expansion by 50 percent.