The United States Government elevated the travel alert for Costa Rica from a Level 1: Exercise Normal Caution to a Level 2: Exercise increased caution in Costa Rica due to crime.

“While petty crime is the predominant threat for tourists in Costa Rica, violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault, occurs in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican government provides additional security resources in areas frequented by tourists”, reads the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

The information was disclosed by the US Government to Costa Rica in a meeting held this week between the Costa Rican Minister of Tourism, Maria Amalia Revelo and the Ambassador of the United States to Costa Rica, Sharon Day.

This change in the travel alert places Costa Rica in the same tier as Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia.

Minister Revelo commented that the Government does not agree with this change and considers that Costa Rica has demonstrated in numbers that crime and violence is nowhere near the numbers of other countries in this same tier. The methodology used for the evaluation of each country and the issuing of the alerts is not clear.

“The adjustment comes as a surprise, specially because it puts Costa Rica, which closed 2019 with a homicide rate of 11 per 100,000 inhabitants, with countries in the continent that are considered among the most violent in the world with rates that exceed 50 per 100,000 inhabitants“, commented Revelo.

According to the Ministry of Security, the crimes associated with tourists represents only 0.02% of all crimes. A total of 688 tourists were victims of robbery of cell phones and passports in 2019, also, during this year the country reports a decrease of 5% in felonies involving tourists. Close to 1.2 million US citizens visit Costa Rica every year.

“We express our objection for the decision of changing the level in the recommendations for American tourists who want to visit our country. As Government, we hope to quickly overcome this situation and continue to deepen the relations between two sister nations that are brought together by friendship and respect“, commented in a press conference Manuel Ventura, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Department of State also issued the following recommendations:

If you decide to travel to Costa Rica:

Be aware of your surroundings.
Do not physically resist any robbery attempt.
Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
U.S. citizens should always exercise caution when traveling abroad.
Follow the Department of State on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Review the Crime and Safety Report for Costa Rica.
Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations.