www.CostaRicaTicas.com

True, true, true.

_________________
Discrete logistics, shipping to Costa Rica for 8 years
Providing a Miami, FL shipping address for internet purchases
CRT VIP Discount Sponsor www.airmailcr.com
http://www.facebook.com/airmailcr/info

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Its too dangerous down there anyway. You could get murdered.

LOL! Yes, you're right. The mongers are much safer here in Costa Rica. We can let them know as soon as the coast is clear!

_________________
Discrete logistics, shipping to Costa Rica for 8 years
Providing a Miami, FL shipping address for internet purchases
CRT VIP Discount Sponsor www.airmailcr.com
http://www.facebook.com/airmailcr/info

I agree. The SJ gulch is a monger's paradise.

I dont know how some of you define "significant" but it certainly can be argued that 5%-10% is significant in a small country like Costa Rica. Starting when our flights hit the ground in SJO, we buy booze in the airport liquor store, we take taxi's or other transportation to our hotels and around town. We eat in local restaurants and drink in local bars. We gamble in local casinos and spend money in stores, malls ect....We tip everyone from cab drivers, to food servers, bar tenders,cocktail waitresses and hotel maids. Because of our presence hotel workers, food servers ect... have a job. We spend $28.00 every time time we leave the country.

We then spend money on the ladies who in turn spend money around town.

There have been numerous studies in regards to the effect of tourist dollars on local economy's. These studies all suggest some kind of multiplier effect in which each dollar spent multiplies so many times in a local economy. Our dollars add up and do have a beneficial effect on the local economy. How much I don't know but to post that we amount to almost nothing is factually incorrect.

I certainly did not post that mongers amount to almost nothing in regards to the local economy and if I gave that impression to anyone I apologize.

My point was and is that many mongers overrate the contribution they make toward the economy and forecast dire economic calamity should San Jose become less monger friendly. If you want to see a prime examples just look back on the threads that forecast the closing of the Presidente when they made the hotel monger intolerant or the forecast of the demise of Dunn Inn when mongers were going to boycott them when the let Boyd go. Last I knew both hotels were not only still in business but apparently are doing very well.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I can't find the story, but I believe AM Costa Rica published expat statistics from the last census done in Costa Rica. I remember that there were more South Americans in Costa Rica than North Americans. There were more Europeans here than North Americans. I spoke with someone at the U.S. Consulate and they say the official number of North Americans in country is about 28,000. Let's be generous and say that 10% or 3,000 of them are mongers. ICT says that the average tourist stays in C.R. for 10 days and spends about $100 per day. I live here and my Ho budget is about $2K a month. Even if there are 3,000 other mongers doing the same thing it is not a significant impact on the local economy. Significant meaning we are not going to solve the Costa Rican national debt problem, provide more relief than the Red Cross or dramatically effect the sale of condoms at Mas x Menos. If we all left I'm not sure that the average middle class tico would even notice.

_________________
Discrete logistics, shipping to Costa Rica for 8 years
Providing a Miami, FL shipping address for internet purchases
CRT VIP Discount Sponsor www.airmailcr.com
http://www.facebook.com/airmailcr/info

Good point........
I've had Gringa women confront me with the same misconception. Then I show them pictures of me and my **** white water rafting, zip lining and tracking through the rain forest.

Quote:Yep....very true - despite the belief by some that Costa Rica is one huge whore house, its just not true, nor is it true that guys coming down for sex is a significant part of their overall tourism. (It might be significant for individual business, like HDR, HLH, Sportsmans, etc - but not for tourism as a whole).[/color]

That was my point. The Gran Hotel and Presidente had a non-monger base, didn't need us and proved it. Nor do any of the other profitable hotels in SJ that have never been friendly. HDR, SL, HLH need the boys. Have you ever seen a non-player in any of those? I did twice at the DR, both times a gringo couple who stood out I think because they were in shock. These 3 hotels base are 99% players. If they could be as profitable without us, they'd do it because it's alot easier to run that kind of a hotel.

Not to say that if it all dried up these three couldn't re-invent themselves into something else with a different brand, image and then make it, but that wouldn't happen quick. HDR as a Howard Johnson's, SL as a Motel 6, HLH as a Roadside, whatever. But, it's folly to think the boys don't impact the gulch big time, at least as to those three. And what they spend around the gulch. And the spill over to other hotels when SL is full.

As far as the hotels you are refering to, DSG, as well as the few block radius known as the gulch, I tend to agree with you - however the point of the thread was the overall impact and I think we can all agree that strictly monger travel is pretty insignificant as an overall part of Costa Rica's tourism.

Some people - not saying you - want their own set of facts - you are entitled to your opinon, but not your own set of facts - the numbers are what they are; you can parse them any way you want, but figures don't lie (I'm not going to fill in the rest of the old saying )

I have no idea.

My only point was that the numbers don't add up.

_________________
Reviews with Name, Where we can find her, Description (Height, weight, measurements (best guesses will do just fine)), and a rundown on services provided (and yes, YMMV is understood) would be GREATLY appreciated.

I love numbers:

You can make them say whatever you like. You can make a group represented by numbers and statistics look critical or meaningless all depending on your interpretation.


500 to 900 business visitors. Are they tourists? If you're looking only at an impact on the tourist industry they should be taken out of the mix. On the other hand are they business travelers or are they business people who use a relatively unimportant business agenda as an excuse to spend a little time in a quiet little hotel with a twentysomething. We've established a pretext for taking them out of the tourists' list but realistically would have to at least include a percentage in the target group.

1000 nature tours travelers. OK what makes up the nature tours traveler. Would a group of 5 or 6 men in their late forties to early fifties staying overnight in San Jose before moving on to the coast to do some fishing be considered nature tourist?
Or should they be considered at least part of the target group considering they will probably spend part of the night acquiring a group of tourist guides to accompany them. Yes probably twentysomething young ladies.

400-800 health seekers. All gonna say there is how many guys have you met who are in town for dental work. Definitely a percentage should be moved to the target group.

400 students. Once again how many guys have you've met who are in town to learn Spanish. Once again the a percentage should be moved to the target group.

To be fair and balanced let's look at the 400 members of the target group. A percentage of those will eventually if they visit enough get involved in some form of commerce so could be considered at least a percentage as business travelers. To keep thing short members could fall into each of the group's.

Final results haven't got a clue. I will definitely say the reason for the target groups travel is a contributing factor to all the other groups. It's a multiplier.
Lee

_________________
PS: DO NOT SEND MONEY!

I was approached by a guy in the terminal while waiting for my flight home who was with some tourism board wanting to do a server. He asked me where traveled to and what I spend my time doing in the country, what parks I visited, what main tourists attractions did I see. I told him I have friends that live in San Jose and I come to visit them. Wonder what he put me down as?

_________________
Not banned yet...

Monger Sorry couldn't resist!