The numbers are in and they look good. The ministry of tourism, Carlos Ricardo Benavides recently announced that tourism was up 11.5% in the first quarter of 2010. The numbers reflect a substantial increase in arrivals into Costa Rica. American Airlines recently added direct flights from JFK airport in New York and a number of foreign carriers are also adding flights into the country. According to the ministry of tourism, they expect the number of tourists visiting Costa Rica to swell to nearly 2.5 million per year in the next few years.