If you like living at or near the beach, one of the benefits of living in Guanacaste is having an international airport nearby.

The Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Guanacaste is the airport and gateway to some of the most spectacular and exclusive destinations in Costa Rica.

As Guanacaste has developed through the years, the amount of flights arriving and departing has slowly increased bringing thousands of visitors to Costa Rica’s northwest coast. During January 2011, 64,997 passengers came in and out of Daniel Oduber International. This is 26.5% more than in January 2010 (51,374 passengers), and 54.0% more than in January 2009 (42,205 passengers).

The spike in visitors this January broke the previous record from March 2008 of 29,206 arrivals. Most of these visitors were from the United States (17,278), followed by Canada (11,013) and the UK (1,211).

The number of commercial flights has also increased this year in Liberia. Data from the Civil Aviation Technical Council (CETAC) confirms that in January there were 42 flights a week, 6 more than in 2010 representing a growth of 14 percent. February is similar with 53 flights a week, 13 more than the same period last year, meaning 25 percent more.

The Minister of Tourism, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, welcomed the news and added that: “This is the result of a good strategy to attract international airlines to the Daniel Oduber International airport and first class hotels and unique boutique hotels that the area of Guanacaste offers.”

On the property management side of things, it has been extremely busy since the middle of December. Some of our most popular, high end rentals have been booked out since Christmas. This is great news for everyone who works in the tourism industry of Guanacaste as well as for the property owners.

The airport is currently undergoing an expansion project. The US$34m expansion project involves building a two-level, 22,900m2 facility that will allow the airport to handle 1,500 passengers at a given time. The concessionaire will spend US$27m on construction and US$7m on equipment, MOPT said in a release.

During 2010, the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) announced new direct flights to Liberia, a product of alliances with international airlines and wholesalers, including: TUI (from Düsseldorf, Germany), Apple Vacations (Chicago), First Choice (London), Air Canada (Montreal) and TACA (El Salvador).

“This movement at the second most important airport in the country encourages us to think that 2011 is shaping up to be a good year for tourism,” said Minister Benavides.

As the airport grows, the amount of tourist visiting Guanacaste will continue to rise. The demand for quality lodging will also increase. Many people traveling today find the value in renting a condo or home while on their vacation instead of staying at a hotel. If you own or are considering buying a property in Guancaste, this could be good news for you too!

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.