Medical Tourism & Costa Rican Economy

Medical Tourism continues to go rapidly here in Costa Rica. It is a reason why so many poeple come to visit Costa Rica and sometimes even end up buying real estate here in Costa Rica. There are three hospitals that have really helped in attracting people looking for lower price medical care. These three hospitals are approved by the international agency of "Joint Commision International" (JCI) which is an organization that develops care standards around the world.

They are the Clinica Biblica, La Catolica, & CIMA Hospitals, all in the San Jose area.

I was thinking about a recent article in the TicoTimes and you begin to see the importance of medical tourism to the economy of Costa Rica. The fact that medical tourism is growing at a very fast rate just means good things to come.

In 2009 there were an estimated 30,000 medical tourist and that is not including a good number that went to smaller private clinics and were not registered in one of the large three JCI approved hospitals. With each tourist that comes lets take into account that at sometime during their care they have one companion. The total now is 60,000 related medical tourist per year as of 2009. You might be thinking that the 60,000 medical tourist only make up 1/20th more or less of the total tourist who visit Costa Rica each year that come through during the Costa Rica dry season. Although the medical treatment is much cheaper here in Costa Rica each medical tourist is spending a good chunk of change more than per person on a Costa Rica Family Vacation.

Medical Care Numbers in Costa Rica

The medical tourist traveling for dental purposes which might be dental implants or crowns might spend $700 - $1000's (About the same as an eco-tourist) here in Costa Rica for treatment and dental patients make up only 36% of the medical tourist. What tops the list is the Orthopedic surgeries to get back into that active lifestyle which might be a $12,000 knee replacement (In the US a knee replacement cost $50,000). This is a very large investment into the economy if more and more medical tourist are coming each year and spending this kind of money it really begins to add up quick just as it has from your average eco-tourist, Costa Rica adventures, surfers, and now your big spender medical tourist.

So you can see the importance of the medical tourism to the economy of Costa Rica. Although you do not see the numbers up in the millions for how many medical tourist visit each year it is the ratio of the amount of money they are spending. All you ever here is how cheap medical care is which is true here in Costa Rica but you have to take into account when you look at these patients as tourist they are "Big Spenders". Just an interesting way to look at medical tourism industry and get excited about the economy of Costa Rica. If you have visited Costa Rica for some medical treatment maybe now it is time to visit Costa Rica a second time for some Real Estate shopping.

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Stats & Numbers taken from recent TicoTimes Article Jan. 28th 2011

Costa Rica and Japan

With two very important visitors from Japan this week celebrating the 75th anniversary of good relations between Costa Rica and Japan there is much to celebrate about. The visitors are Prince Akishino and his wife Princess Kiko. Japan had done a lot in recent years for Costa Rica and it looks as if they do not plan on slowing down.

Japanese Contributions to Costa Rica

Three reasons for celebration were mentioned and environmentalist I have a feeling where celebrating also. The first reason was a $9 million dollar agreement with Costa Rica's Institute of Electricity for a project on solar power. Let's not forget that Costa Rica still plans to

be the first carbon neutral country by it's 200th year anniversary 2021. The second w

as an $8 million dollar boost to work on preserving more forest areas. Last but not least which I can imagine will only help the future of Costa Rican real estate and just overall development of the country is a $130 million dollars for the Central Valley sewer project.

There are a number of other things the Japanese have helped with in recent years but these were some of the big contributions that will surely leave a positive impact on all of Costa Rica for years to come. All of these just give more reasons to invest in Costa Rica.

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Hospital Clinica Biblica

Costa Rica has been known for health care and in recent years it has been booming with rapid growth of it's health care system. One main reason for this rapid growth is visitors looking for health care because of rising cost in the USA or lack of coverage. The public and private hospitals of Costa Rica offer care at a very affordable price with some expertise that is par with the USA health care system. According to a recent certification by Joint Commision International (JCI) no other hospital in Costa Rica has stepped up to the rapid growth better than Clinica Biblica in San Jose.

Clinica Biblica Costa Rica

This is the second time the Clinica Biblica has been awarded this prestige honor and it will last until 2013 when they will be up for certification again. In a recent article by the TicoTimes they state that the certification of the JCI is based on: better patient care and safety; cost reduction and increased operational efficiency; growth in public confidence; continual improvement of sanitary conditions; education and best practices; increased employee satisfaction and recruitment.

One of the interesting parts I noticed is that they offer education and best practices. What the hospital does is offer education and free talks on how to take better care of yourself and live better. Now that sounds like a hospital that really cares.

With a recent operation from a private hospital in Costa Rica I could not have been happier with the service and care they gave me which was most important. After the service and care I was able to then enjoy the fact that the operation was a total of $5,000's as compared to the $20,000's I was quoted in the USA. Maybe I will take the $15,000 that is left over and look for some Costa Rican real estate.

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Coffee in Costa Rica 2011

If you notice early in the morning you see families getting ready for a day in the fields of picking coffee. Every cup that is drank here in Costa Rica on our way to work or during our 3pm "recreo" it came from one of these workers in the fields. It is that time of year to start to harvest the coffee here in parts of Costa Rica. According to a recent article in the ticotimes the harvest this year will be much lower than it was last year. This is due to the heavy rains that Costa Rica had this past rainy season.

The good part though about this coffee harvest is that the value of coffee on the market is up an incredible 88%. Farmers are hoping that the rise in value of coffee will offset the low harvest due to rain.

Coffee here in Costa Rica is a crop that the "Ticos" take quite a bit of pride in and they have every reason to. It is a crop that has brought much economic growth to the country. The beauty of coffee in Costa Rica is that in almost all cases it is owned by Costa Rican's on a small level. Farmers set up "cooperativos" which might be a group of 200 farmers with a total of land of 1,000 hectares. Together all of these farmers will form their own large coffee company allowing everyone to get a piece of the pie.

Enjoy the scenery of the beautiful coffee plantations this time of year and if you get a chance just stop for a minute and enjoy the view and the workers in the field. It is quite a humbling and peaceful experience to just watch the fields being worked on.

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A New Tax in Costa Rica

If you have ever purchased a car, house, property, or business in Costa Rica chances are you have been involved in an Sociedad Anonimous (S.A.). Basically here in Costa Rica it is just a corporation like in the United States used for dealing with business.

The S.A. has become the main way of doing business and almost everyone in the country has at least one if not more. The government looks to pass a new bill that would tax every S.A. in the country $200 per year. This is a sm

all amount but with the number of S.A.'s that exist this could be a nice boost to government spending.

The $200 extra dollars a year from each S.A. is a tax that the government plans to use to boost security in and around the country. The security has taken giant leeps in the last couple of years with more police, cameras in cities, and an improving legal system.

So for anyone thinking of doing Real Estate do not get alarmed a small $200 fee each year if you decide to do your business in an S.A. will go to a very good cause.

Costa Rican Sports

It is not all about soccer here in Costa Rica. If you visit La Sabana park on a Saturday or Sunday you will notice that Costa Rican's are open to almost any type of organized sport. The La Sabana park has everything from basketball, gymnastics, boxing, speed skating, and much more. Costa Rica in the recent months is home to two athletes that have not only put themselves on the map but are making a name for Costa Rica in sports other than soccer.

If you have not heard the names already they are a young man named Nery Brenes and a 27 year old women from Limon named Hanna Gabriel. Nery is Costa Rica's fastest person being a track and field dominance on an international level. Hanna is one girl who you do not want to get in road rage with or a bar fight. She is Costa Rica's world championship boxer and she surely fits the profile.

Hanna Gabriel

Hanna Gabriel comes from a family of athletes. Her father is a promoter of boxing and she only got into boxing to try and lose some weight and she ended up being the world champ. Her brother plays in Costa Rica's professional soccer league. She holds a record of 11 wins and 1 tie. Her weight clase has here competing at around 155lbs. They are starting to televise here fights on TV here in Costa Rica and it is quite the treat to watch this women fight. She looks as if she is in perfect shape and is a very beautiful young lady who might have a career in modeling after she finishes punching people in the face.

Nery Brenes

Nery Brenes is a 25 year old also from the province of Limon who competes on the international level of track in field running the 400 mts which is one of the most competitive events on the planet. Nery's running has taken him on a tour around the world visiting Germany, Puerto Rico, Japan, China, Spain, and many more on the list to come. He has won gold on numerous events and has the Olympics in sight to run with the world's fastest.

With many young Costa Rican's and a country that enjoys staying active you can be assu

re that many more athletes will be making big news from Costa Rica in the future and remember don't just focus on the soccer ball there are many more sports that can put these young Costa Rican's on center stage.

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Vacation Home for Active Lifestyles

One of the reasons for buying a vacation home in Costa Rica is to just sit back and relax. Another reason is that you might want to get out of the city go hiking, whitewater rafting, surfing and get into an active way of living for you or the kids.

Costa Rica lends itself to being a perfect spot for all of these reasons. If you are looking for a vacation home in Costa Rica and you want to keep an active lifestyle there are a number of places you might want to look depending on what type of activities you are looking for.

Areas of Active Living

1.) Guanacaste - This area in the north Pacific of Costa Rica has become a great spot for surfing and a number of options of places to live in from Condos, houses, and large pieces of land. The activities in the area can be more than just beach activities. You can go hiking in the tropical dry forest or make your way up to an area called Borinquen Hotel which is around 2 hours from the area and there you rise in elevation and can experience an amazing zipline, mud-baths, hiking to Rincon de la Vieja volcano (4 hour hike) in a very lush green forest. (Guanacaste Real Estate)

2.) Jaco - Here is an area in activities that are similar to Guanacaste. Many activities are located at the beach. You can also take the quads out and ride many of the nearby trails. For the nature lovers visiting the Carara National Park is an easy hike on flat surface. There are also a few ziplines in the area with gandola trams. (Jaco Real Estate)

3.) Lake Arenal - This places has to be second on my list for activities to do in the area. First of all the lake is one of the top places on the planet for wind-surfing and kite-surfing during certain months of the year. Also in the town of La Fortuna is home to the La Fortuna waterfall and you will notice that there are some adrenaline tours of rafting the Rio Toro or going canyoneering on some of the many nearby canyons. There are an endless amount of trails to hike one of them being to the Cerro Chato volcano or the Arenal Volcano National Park. Living at the Lake you are outside of the large touristy area of La Fortuna but still close enough to enjoy all of the activities. (Lake Arenal Real Estate)

4.) Dominical - This is the place that I have to vote for the person that wants to stay active during their vacation or just living an active lifestyle as the top spot. You will notice with the new coastal highway that once you start heading south of Jaco and Manuel Antonio the mountains start moving closer to the shore. This geological form means you travel less to get into the mountains. Very common to hear that this means in the Domincal area the mountain meets the see. You can literally raft some big rapids and just take your raft or kayak into the ocean on the same river. There are jungles all over and hikes to some of Costa Rica's most beautiful and remote waterfalls excellent for rapeling adventures. You head inland and you can experience the activities of San Isidro and the nearby Chirripo National park. The Savegre River is nearby and is one of Costa Rica's best rivers for rafting. Biking is another option because you can be mountain biking in the morning and spend your afternoon surfing. Along with all these activities you have the Corcovado National Park and Cano Island for hiking and snorkeling. (Dominical Real Estate)

Let us know if you know of places where you live in Costa Rica that lend itself to activities and an active lifestyle. We would love to hear you comments?

If you are interested in looking for the perfect piece of property in Costa Rica for an investment, a place to relax, or an area that you want to get you into an active lifestyle than please give us a call at:

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Boats in Costa Rica

For a country that has two coast you can imagine that boats are pretty common here in Costa Rica. Now it all depends on what type of boat you might be interested in but you can find everything from the local fisherman in the Puntarenas area, the fancy cruise ships arriving to Limon, or even some of the finest private yachts docked at the Los Suenos Marina at the Marriott in Herradura.

With the popularity in Costa Rican Real Estate along the Pacific coast boaters have found interest in owning a piece of land or those that own a piece of land have found interest in becoming a boater. There are different clubs you can join if you have a boat and there is even a club out at the Lake Arenal in the northern part of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Marinas

Marinas have also become an important part of investors along the coast. There are plans for Marinas to go up in different places and there are some that are already built. For a complete guide to Costa Rica Marina's visithttp://www.costaricahomepages.com/travel_and_tourism/marinas/index

Even if you do not own a boat sometimes owning a piece of land with views of a sailboat making its way through the waters of the Pacific on it's way down to the Panama canal might be all the adventure you need.

Interested in ocean view property in Costa Rica?

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Guanacaste Beach House

Take a look at one of Costa Rica's prime beach areas called Hermosa which translates to Beautiful in English and certainly fits the the description. This house in the video is a perfect description of being surrounded by the jungle and still having a view of the ocean.

Playa Hermosa is in the Guanacaste area and located just a short drive from the Liberia International airport.

Dining in Costa Rica

It is funny to me when you hear people that think of Costa Rica as just rice and beans along with a few fried plantains as the cuisine. This might be true for the traditionalCostaRican meal but you have to take into consideration that Costa Rica is a small country that has had visitors from all over the world. These visitors have been attracted by the nice people, natural beauties, and lifestyle of "Pura Vida".

When you combine visitors from all over the world, business from all over the world, a developing capital city of San Jose, and more and more people moving to the beaches for their vacation homes it does not take long before you see the many different types of international restaurant not only in the San Jose area but also along the Pacific Coast.

Restaurants in Costa Rica

There are many books one can read when looking for different places to dine around Costa Rica. If I had to give a quick personal opinion I would say that the Grano de Oro Hotel ha

s one of the best restaurants in the Central Valley. When traveling to the Pacific you might want to check out Kapi Kapi (Indeginous name which means "welcome"). The Kapi Kapi restaurant is located in Manuel Antonio. These are just two of many places to eat in Costa Rica. For more information on places to eat you can find books in any souvenir shop on dining in Costa Rica.

We are interested in places that you might know of that are good places to eat. Working in the real estate business it is always of interest to us to show our clients a great meal. Let us know some of your favorite places in Costa Rica to eat we would love to hear?

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Costa Rican New Year

The holidays are coming to an end and Costa Rica is one of the best of taking time off, celebrating the break, and bringing in the New Year. If you are from Costa Rica chances are you might have spent the Christmas holiday in your homes with your family and then made a trip to the beach for New Years to enjoy some of Costa Rica's natural beauties.

Some might ask each other what the New Year of Costa Rica might bring to the economy. I happen to spend the New Year in the town of Tamarindo and looking at it from a tourist point of view the place was happening, hotels were full, and people were spending. I then came back to the town of Heredia to see the new expansion on the mall of Paseo de las Flores. For those of you that are familiar with the mall Multiplaza in Escazu well Paseo de las Flores in Heredia is doing everything it can to stay right with it as Costa Rica's top malls. I found everything from Kenneth Cole to Nautica shops in a town that just a few years ago all it had was a central market. The money here in Costa Rica is making it's rounds and it could be a very positive economic year for the Costa Rican economy.

Costa Rica Real Estate 2011

With the Real Estate industry I feel that good things are to come. All of these signs of more tourist, more people spending, and an already rise out of the recession at the end of 2010 should be a good indicator that 2011 has some good things to bring in the market.

From the company of Properties in Costa Rica we wish everyone a very Blessed New Year!

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