Dive Travel And Covid 19
The world has changed due to Covid-19 and the scuba diving industry has been affected in a serious way. As borders have been closed, flights cancelled, stay at home orders put in place, nearly all scuba diving travel has been forced to shut down. For dive shops around the world this has meant a few months of next to no revenue. Most have closed their doors temporarily, some will never reopen. Not only has Covid 19 put a stop to travel for the months that the borders have been closed, there will be several months after they officially reopen where the volume of travellers will be much lower due to a reluctance to travel, the time required to plan travel, and people having less discretionary spending money due to the many layoffs across the globe.
Why Costa Rica Is A Great Diving Option Post Covid 19
Costa Rica is a country in Central America which could be a great vacation and diving option for those looking to plan their next trip for several reasons. Costa Rica has one of the best medical systems in Central America and have weathered the Covid storm remarkably well. With a population of around 5 million, they have had just 897 confirmed cases as of May 21 and only 10 total deaths attributed to Covid 19. They took decisive action early to curb the spread and have proceeded very cautiously since. Their medical system is so advanced that medical tourism is one of their major industries.
Costa Rica also is quite easily accessible from the United States. They have two major airports (LIR and SJO) with flights being operated by almost every major airline in the US and many more international options as well. They are a very safe destination crime wise for travellers and haven’t seen any major increase in crime rates with the pandemic. With borders expected to reopen June 15th to international travellers, you can expect to be greeted with open arms to this country which depends a great deal on tourism.
We have a group trip to Costa Rica in October (October 3-10) to dive with Rocket Frog Divers on the Pacific Coast of the province of Guanacaste. This is a shop which is co-owned by a US Army Veteran, has a retired doctor from South Dakota as an instructor, and also has a current Costa Rican ER doctor who works with them on his off days. We have done this trip the past 2 years and have many repeat travellers signed up this year to go again. If you haven’t gone diving on the Pacific Coast in Costa Rica, this is an excellent chance to dive with manta rays, bull sharks, white tip reef sharks, octopus, eagle rays, and massive schools of fish. Two years ago we were treated with a few whale shark encounters as well. This time of year we will also likely get to see humpback whales during our surface intervals as they are in the area with their calves this time of year. During our group trip, we stay at the All Inclusive Riu Guanacaste and also do one full day land based tour where we get to see a different side of Costa Rica.
Sign Up For Our Group Trip Oct 3 – 10 For $1449
If you are interested in signing up for our group trip, click here. If those dates don’t work for you, please consider Costa Rica when planning your next trip!