Archive for October 30th, 2009
Friday, October 30th, 2009
On Monday, Multiplaza Escazú will unveil its “quinta etapa” (fifth stage) with the expansion of its floor area to include 86 additional stores, a new department store and more than 1.000 new parking spaces.The main focus of the expansion is the introduction of the Simán department store that is from Salvador and a host of other “pioneer” stores making their debut in Costa Rica for the first time.
Salvador Bolaños, general manager of Grupo Roble, the developer of Multiplaza Escazú, said that most of th new stores opening next week are from Panama and that he hopes at least 50 stores will ready for opening on inauguration.
Workers have been busy in finishing the expansion in time for the 2009 Christmas shopping season. This week attention has been focused on the exterior of the expansion, ready to greet the expected 150.000 plus shoppers to the mall. Bolaños said that at least 50.000 new shoppers are expected to be attracted by the new stores.
In addition to the retail stores, the expansion will have a food court with at least eight food outlets, including McDonalds, Café Illy, Inka Grill and Tintos & Blancos. This is in addition the existing food court and restaurants at Multiplaza.
Bolaños added that the existing stores and flood space will soon begin a renovation phase as part of the facelift of the entire mall.
The expansion will also mean an additional 1.000 to 1.500 more direct jobs and 3.000 indirect jobs being created, that adds to the current work force of 7.600 direct and 6.400 indirect employees at the mall.
The Simán department store alone is responsible for filling 300 jobs.
Multiplaza Escazú first opened its doors in 1993 and grew to a total floor space of 41.000 square metres. With the latest addition the total floor space will be 68.000 square metres and 2.600 parking spaces, 60% of which are covered parking.
The major stores in Multiplaza Escazú are Cemaco, Palacio de Moda, Zara and Carrión. Automercado supermarket and Cinermark multi screen theatre attract customers to the mall.
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Friday, October 30th, 2009
A lingering political crisis in Honduras seemed to be nearing an end on Friday after the de facto government agreed to a deal that would allow Manuel Zelaya, the deposed president, to return to office.
The government of Roberto Micheletti, which had refused to let Mr. Zelaya return, signed an agreement with Mr. Zelaya’s negotiators late Thursday that would pave the way for the Honduran Congress to restore the ousted president and allow him to serve out the remaining three months of his term.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed on Friday that Mr. Zelaya and Mr. Micheletti had approved what she called “an historic agreement.”
“I cannot think of another example of a country in Latin America that, having suffered a rupture of its democratic and constitutional order, overcame such a crisis through negotiation and dialogue,” Mrs. Clinton said Friday in Islamabad, where she has been meeting with Pakistani officials.
The accord came after a team of senior American diplomats flew from Washington to the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, on Wednesday to press for an agreement. On Thursday, the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, Thomas A. Shannon Jr., warned that time was running out for an agreement. (more…)
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Friday, October 30th, 2009
An update of the World Database of Happiness calculates Costa Rica is at the top of the list for quality of life in 148 countries, Dutch researchers say.
Researchers at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands developed the World Database of Happiness, which combines life assessment averages and life expectancy averages. It is an estimate of how long and happy the average citizen will live in that nation.
The latest “happy years” ranking includes 148 countries and covers more than 95 percent of the world population.
The inhabitants of Costa Rica hold the first position of this classification, with an average of 66.7 happy years of life, followed by Iceland with 66.4 years and Denmark 65 happy years. The United States is listed at 58 years.
Zimbabwe, the country that holds the last position, had only 12.5 happy years of life, next is Burundi at 14.3 years and Tanzania at 14.4.
The findings are scheduled to be presented at the III Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development World Forum in Busan, South Korea.
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Friday, October 30th, 2009
Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli and his Costa Rican counterpart Oscar Arias on Thursday signed a bilateral cooperation agreement to boost ties.
The two leaders pledged to deepen and expand political and social dialogue on bilateral and international issues of mutual interest, the commercial ties, and cultural exchanges to achieve integration between the two countries.
Martinelli said the partnership will bring great benefits to both countries and their peoples.
Arias said Costa Rica and Panama are united with this agreement because they share the values of democracy, freedom and political pluralism.
“This agreement will expand our cooperation from economy to other areas where there are long ways to go and we are going to doit,” Arias said after signing the document.
According to Arias, the ties between the two countries have been transparent and fraternal, because they are based on mutual trust and the pursuit of common welfare for both countries.
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Friday, October 30th, 2009
From November 2009 to March 2010 Jetair Flight Holidays will offer a weekly charter flight from Belgium to Liberia in Costa Rica, via Cancun (Mexico), departing on Fridays. The new flight in expected to increase the number of tourists arriving at the Daniel Oduber Airport to around 120 per week.
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Friday, October 30th, 2009
Following several interruptions caused by the torrential rains and water-logged pitch, the suspended match between Turkey and Costa Rica will be replayed this afternoon.
The match could not continue after 21 minutes of heavy rain, and the organisers rule the game must be played in its entirety.
The rain also made an appearance in Calabar, falling with impressive force at the end of the first half of Colombia’s meeting with Iran. The day turned out to be one of the longest days in the history of the competition. The dramatic storms also forced delays in the New Zealand-Burkina Faso game.
The only sides to escape the rain were Netherlands and Gambia, with the Dutch earning a much-needed 2-1 win in steamy Calabar to move back into contention in Group C.
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Friday, October 30th, 2009
Private security guards in Costa Rica almost double the number of police officers in Costa Rica. According to the Dirección del Servicio de Seguridad Privada del Ministerio de Seguridad, there are 20.000 registered security guards to 13.000 members of the Fuerza Pública (police).
A total of 803 licensed private companies offer private security services in all areas of the country, an increase of 202 over last two years. In 2007 there were 601 registered private security companies, growing to 722 in 2008.
Those numbers do not include the multitude of unlincensed and unorganized security companies and individuals who offer private protection to a few homes on a street.
Fernando Camacho, vicepresidente de la Asociación Costarricense de Empresas de Seguridad (ACES), estimates that there are at least 700 companies not registered with the Dirección, operating without any kind of permit.
Camacho added that the private security force could grow by another 6.000 in the coming year with the growth of insecurity.
And private security does not come cheap. (more…)
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Friday, October 30th, 2009
Although the number of tourists has not dropped significantly over the numbers of last year, however, the money tourists leave behind is another matter.
According to the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT), the Cámara Nacional de Turismo (Canatur) the Cámara Costarricense de Hoteles (CCH), in 2008 each tourist left behind an average of us$1.040 during an average of a 10 day stay.
However, in 2009, the average stay dropped to 9.5 days and the amount left behind dropped to us$855.
During last year 2.089 million visitors came to Costa Rica leaving behind us$2.1 billion dollars, this year, however, the take is expected to be us$1.6 billion with only 1.9 million tourists.
It is estimated that some 110.000 people live directly off tourism. According to figures of the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS), as of July this year there have been 4.100 layoffs due to the drop in tourism.
What is important to note is that although the drop in the number of tourists is low, only 180.000 less this year, the type of tourist reaching our shores is different. Today’s tourists are looking for bargains or way to save a buck her and a buck there.
Tourists that in the past would required a four star hotel, will now with a three star and so on. Renting of vehicles, cellular phones and other high end products is down. Today’s tourists will take the bus, group together on tours and avoid calling home to save.
Pablo Solano, president of the CCH, said that “tourists today are looking to save in everything”.
The biggest effect of today’s tourist is being felt in the luxury market, where the drop is 25% or more.
Affected also by this is are the artisans and local markets, as tourists do not have the money or are unwilling to spend on “touristy” items.
This high season, which traditionally begins in the middle of December, the situation is expected to be worse that last high season, where hotels had plenty of rooms available and tour operators saw a drastic drop in daily excursions and activities.
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