In 2024, El Salvador’s tourism sector has recorded a remarkable 22% growth, welcoming 3.9 million visitors.
This sudden spike in tourism has surpassed that of the neighboring countries such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama, which typically record around 3 million visitors annually.
Actually, last year’s increase nearly doubled El Salvador‘s inbound tourist numbers in comparison to the period from 2013 to 2016.
In comparison to 2019, El Salvador witnessed a stunning 40% surge in tourist arrivals. In the last week of December 2024 alone, the country welcomed more than 172,000 international visitors. This substantial increase even led to an acute shortage of available hotel accommodations.
The demographics of the visitors have also changed. A greater number of tourists are extending their stays, with 39% originating from the United States, 26% from Guatemala, 16% from Honduras, and the remaining 19% from various other regions globally.
Should this upward trend in the country’s travel and tourism continue, it is highly likely to draw increased investment, which in turn would bolster El Salvador’s economy.
The surge in inbound tourism has been largely attributed to significant improvements in the safety and security conditions in the country, with El Salvador government enacting severe measures aimed at eradicating widespread gang violence, coupled with a zero-tolerance policy towards organized crime, resulting in the apprehension of tens of thousands of gang members.
El Salvador annual homicide rate fell dramatically to 114 in 2024, down from 6,656 in 2015. In December 2024, once dangerous country has recorded only one homicide.
These initiatives have significantly elevated El Salvador’s international standing and have enhanced its tourism sector.
The improved security situation in the country is making it easier for Salvadoran expats residing abroad, particularly in the United States, to reconnect with their families in El Salvador, while giving a boost to the tourism sector.
Another major factor contributing to the rise of the tourism sector is the embrace of Bitcoin as a legal tender, that has established El Salvador as a distinctive travel locale for cryptocurrency aficionados.