The Minister of Tourism, Morena Valdez, assured this morning that the implementation of bitcoin as legal currency in El Salvador has allowed an increase of up to 30% in the number of tourists who visit the country, joining the natural landscapes and the tropical climate as the main attractions for tourism in Salvadoran territory.
The official pointed out that the number of tourists who come to the country has increased, to a great extent, after the entry into force of the Bitcoin Law, which allowed the country to adopt this cryptocurrency as a legal currency throughout the territory. Valdez also emphasized that the Salvadoran natural environment and its tropical climate will continue to be strong points for tourism.
“El Salvador has become a good place to visit, invest in and live. With the use of bitcoin, tourism has increased by 30%. Tourists interested in the implementation of bitcoin have a longer stay and a larger expense. Before bitcoin, there was a daily expense of $113 to $150, now it is up to $200 a day” — Valdez commented.
“Investors who have come in recent months are scouting, interested in investing in accommodation and entertainment. The government is available to provide them with what they need. Investors bring a development idea, they are guided and connected with other people. It is a whole process that is being evaluated» — she added.
The minister also referred to the visit of the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship, the largest ship that docks in the country and which was installed this weekend in Acajutla, department of Sonsonate. This cruise brought with it 828 passengers of American and Canadian origin, and 1,022 crew members, who travelled aboard this 295-meter-long vessel, owned by the Norwegian Cruise Lines shipping company.
“She is the first ship that we have received after the pandemic and the largest ship that the port of Acajutla has received. Thanks to the articulated work of all government institutions, mayors, and tour operators that received cruise passengers in the different destinations they visited, In the 12 hours that the Norwegian Jewel was there, tourists visited different historical, cultural, and natural destinations” — the official commented.
«We want to bring more cruises, another type of tourism. El Salvador has the great advantage of allowing you to live different experiences in a short time and over a short distance. The recovery of tourism in the country has been helped by the country’s good handling of the pandemic. El Salvador has become that emerging destination” —she added.
Finally, the minister commented that work is already underway on the construction of two viewpoints on the way to Surf City, in La Libertad, which will be “a meeting point so that people can enjoy and appreciate the views towards the coast of La Libertad”. In addition, she reiterated that there are plans for more tourism investments, especially in the eastern zone.
“Through Surf City 2 we are going to invest more than $100 million in the eastern zone, as announced by President Nayib Bukele as part of the Economic Impulses” — the official highlighted.
Currently, tourism is one of the most important sectors of our economy, with an annual generation of more than 50,000 direct jobs and almost 200,000 indirect jobs. For this year, an arrival of 1.7 million international visitors is estimated, which represents $1,700 million in foreign exchange earnings. While in terms of internal tourism, 9.1 million internal visits are expected, generating more than $300 million in revenue.