The coordinated work of government institutions to reactivate all productive sectors has underpinned the economic recovery with historical figures since last year, and one of those that stands out for its dynamism is tourism.

This was stated by the Minister of Tourism, Morena Valdez, who reported that in the first half of this year the country received 1.1 million visitors, which exceeded projections and is close to the total figure obtained throughout 2019, prior to the pandemic, when 1.2 million people arrived.

“We are one of the countries with the best results. We have a 92% recovery and received 1.1 million visitors in the first half of the year,” the official remarked.

Regarding foreign currency income, the minister reported that, until the end of June, the country obtained $1,189 million, which means an increase of 43% compared to what was reported in 2019.

The minister explained that, in addition to the tourist movement of Holy Week, May and June also generated a favorable dynamism due to the development of two international surfing tournaments.

The minister also said that another metric of the sector’s recovery is flight data, since, according to the international polling firm ForwardKeys, El Salvador was the most visited country in the Americas in the first quarter.

«Capturing prominence are the destinations in Central America in the first quarter of this year. The most resilient destinations are El Salvador, with growth of 28% over pre-pandemic levels, followed by Nicaragua (+8%) and Mexico (-8%),” said the firm.

Given these numbers, the official predicted a significant increase in the sector by the end of the year, which will be influenced by the activation of tourist spaces such as the Surf City Amusement Park, the arrival of more cruise ships, among other activities.