Tourism in El Salvador continues to grow. The Norwegian Sun cruise ship arrived this Sunday morning at the Port of Acajutla with more than 2,400 international tourists.
This is the second cruise ship to arrive in the country, and it is expected that in the remainder of the year, the country will receive another five cruise ships, according to data from the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA).
Officials of the Government of El Salvador received the tourists from the Norwegian Cruise. Among them are Morena Valdez, Minister of Tourism; Ricardo Cucalón, Director of Immigration and Immigration; and Federico Anliker López, President of the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA).
“We are working in coordination with various institutions to have more visitors. Until September of this year, we have received more than 1.8 million visitors, making a recovery of more than 93% (after the pandemic) and we have received more than $1,800 million in foreign exchange income,” said Minister Morena Valdez during the welcome to cruise passengers.
Among the destinations that tourists will visit are: Joya de Cerén, San Andrés, San Julián, Historic Center of San Salvador, Nahuizalco, Sonsonate, Santa Ana Volcano, and Apaneca.
The arrival of this type of vessel is proof that El Salvador has positioned itself as a safe destination, thanks to all the measures implemented by the current government that have improved safety, boosted the economy, and boosted tourism.
“We are leaders in the recovery of the tourism sector and, obviously, we know that the cruise industry is a great bet,” added the official.
The cruise season began on October 8, when the Scenic Cruise Lines docked in the country, which inaugurated this period that ends in May 2023, a period in which the arrival of 12 ships is estimated.
For the current authorities, the cruise industry is important, which is why the head of CEPA, Federico Anliker, has said that they are working on a plan to also promote the port of La Unión so that ships can dock and thus continue with the government’s strategy to stimulate the national economy.
“We are focused on bringing this industry to the country. It is a reality that for the first time in history, El Salvador has a cruise season. It does not mean that it is the first time that cruise ships come, but before one came at a thousand and by chance, now in the cruise season in the region, we are already scheduled with several berths”, said Anliker.
The official assured that “the Territorial Control Plan is giving peace and security to the country and is what makes these companies want to come to El Salvador and discover the beauty of our country safely.”