IX. BUSINESS TRAVEL BUSINESS CUSTOMS Costa Rican business executives place great importance on personal contacts with foreign suppliers. Appointments should take place in their own facilities instead of a hotel room. Although Costa Rica is a country located in a tropical climate, a formal business attire always gives a much better impression of the seriousness and experience of a U.S. business person. Working hours are usually from 08:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and from 02:00 PM to 06:00 PM. The Costa Rican Government has a continuous working schedule from 07:30 AM to 04:00 PM. Most banks open from 09:00 AM to 03:00 PM. TRAVEL ADVISORY AND VISAS Petty crime is frequent. Thefts, especially in urban areas, and car break-ins are common. Thefts take place on the street, in hotel rooms and from cars. U.S. passports are a particular target. The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Some remote trails in national parks have been closed because of the low number of visitors and reported robberies of hikers in the area. Tourists should check with forest rangers for current park conditions. A valid passport is required to enter Costa Rica. At the discretion of Costa Rican authorities, travelers are sometimes admitted with the original copy of a certified U.S. birth certificate and photo I.D. for tourist stays of up to 90 days. Tourist cards are issued upon arrival at the airport. U.S. citizens must have an onward or return ticket to obtain a tourist card. Every departing traveler is required to pay a six dollar airport tax upon departure. To obtain additional and updated information on entry and exit requirements, travelers can contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of Costa Rica at 1825 Connecticut Avenue N.W., Suite 211, Washington, D.C. 20009; Tel: (202) 328-6628 or the nearest consulate in Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, New Orleans, New York or Houston. U.S. and Costa Rican HOLIDAYS (CY '94) Jan. 17 - U.S./Martin Luther King's Birthday Feb. 21 - U.S./President's Birthday Mar. 31 - C.R./Holy Thursday Apr. 1 - C.R./Good Friday Apr. 11 - C.R./Juan Santamaria May. 30 - U.S./Memorial Day Jun. 2 - C.R./Corpus Christi Jun. 29 - C.R./St. Peter and St. Paul Jul. 4 - U.S./Independence Day Jul. 25 - C.R./Annexation of Guanacaste Aug. 2 - C.R./Our Lady of Los Angeles Aug. 15 - C.R./Assumption Day Sep. 5 - U.S./Labor Day Sep. 15 - C.R./Independence Day Oct. 10 - U.S./Columbus Day Oct. 12 - C.R./Columbus Day Nov. 11 - U.S./Veteran's Day Nov. 24 - U.S./Thanksgiving Day Dec. 8 - C.R./Immaculate Conception Dec. 26 - U.S.-C.R./Christmas Day BUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSPORTATION: Costa Rica's infrastructure is among the best developed in the region. There are more than 7,000 kilometers (4,400 miles) of principal highways and roads and some 16,000 kilometers (9,600 miles) of rural roads. However maintenance of these roads is far from optimal. Cars and drivers both suffer on Costa Rican roads and highways which must handle yearly rains of over 120 inches. Costa Rica has more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) of railway track, but little of it is currently in use. There are also more than 100 small private landing fields serving 272 registered aircraft. All over-land cargo, except bananas from the Pacific ports, are transported via truck. San Jose's principal airport, Juan Santamaria International Airport, is served by 19 international passenger airlines and six cargo airlines. To serve the Guanacaste tourist area, the Liberia International Airport was inagurated in December 1991 but is not fully in service yet. Once completely operational, it will boost the growing tourism market in Guanacaste. Regional airports offer regularly scheduled domestic flights to Limon, Golfito, Quepos and Tamarindo. There is good taxi and public bus service in the capital (San Jose). Rent-a-car services are also available. LANGUAGE: Although Costa Rica is a Spanish-speaking country most business persons speak English, facilitating better communication in business affairs. COMMUNICATIONS: Costa Rica enjoys an advanced telecommunications network. The telephone service is extremely reliable. The country also enjoys both public and private cellular services and data transmission services. Several U.S. telecommunication companies are offering international telephone services at lower prices than that of the existing Costa Rican telephone monopoly, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad. HOUSING: Living conditions for newcomers are very good although not inexpensive. The pernennial spring climate, scenic beauty, housing, food, and ancillary services make it a comfortable place to live. Costa Rica offers foreign business travelers a wide variety of suitable, modern hotels located in San Jose, and in neighboring cities. Prices are affordable and services of all type related to business (e.g. fax, conference rooms, projectors, etc.) are available in most hotels. Also available to business visitors are several other small hotels or bed and breakfast locals that are emerging due to the tourism boom during the last two or three years. HEALTH: Medical services (excluding hosptials) are very good. All Costa Rican workers and their dependents are covered by a public health care system administered by the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social -CCSS). The Caja is experiencing serious shortages especially in their hospitals. Many doctors in both the national health system and private clinics have been trained abroad and are bilingual. Specialists are available in almost all branches of medicine. Although seriously overcrowded, Hospital Mexico and the San Juan de Dios Hospital are the best-equipped in Central America. Private clinics accept major credit cards. As in any tropical climate country, insects thrive. Although the mosquitoes in San Jose do not carry malaria the dengue mosquito has been found in Costa Rica. Numerous eradication programs are presently in operation throughout Costa Rica. FOOD: Modern shopping centers and supermarkets, along with the traditional open air markets, provide a complete variety of goods and services. Vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, fruit, and pasteurized dairy products are especially tasty and fresh. Numerous restaurants specialize in local, Oriental, American, and Continental cuisine.