It is a well known fact that prostitution in Costa Rica is legal and very prevalent.  It is a huge industry that employs over 10,000 females.  The tourism industry draws more than $1 billion dollars a year and about 10% of the tourists come and engage in the sex industry.  But just because it is legal does not mean that everyone approves. 

For example, Grupo Marta, which owns two Best Westerns, has banned prostitution on its premises.  This is purely done through observation and a trained eye.  The receptionist and security guards are in charge of determining which guests may be prostitutes.  This is not the only business to take the law into their own hands.  Another hotel has seen the rapid increase of prostitution and was tired of the debauchery that came along with it and they too closed their doors to the legal activity.  Some nights they would turn away as many as 25 guests, but they claim it is better and are now are advertising a family environment. 

This is a very controversial decision as it is a legal practice. Opponents believe that this is a form of discrimination.  Especially because the way they decide whether or not a guest is a prostitute is by the amount of make up they wear, their outfits, and their shoes.  So this may not be the best system of detection but for now it is all the hotels have.  As it turns out the prostitutes are catching on and have started to carry around a cover up that they can wear if they get invited back to a hotel.  

All in all, it is a booming business that may cloud the judgment of visitors, but for others it is an attraction.  There is a fine line in what is legal and what is not so it is quite the touchy subject. 

To read more about this situation:  http://www.ticotimes.net/topstory.htm

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on August 2nd, 2007