Until a few years ago, it was very risky for national and foreign tourists to walk the streets of El Salvador with ease, since the threat of gangs was latent in every corner of any neighborhood and community, even in areas close to tourist centers such as spas, recreational parks, among others.
Thirty years of corrupt ARENA and FMLN governments had to pass so that, currently, Salvadorans and foreigners who visit the country can enjoy total peace of mind by not being harassed by the gang members who, for decades, instilled terror.
For the Minister of Justice and Security, Gustavo Villatoro, tourism is one of the items that has benefited the most from this climate of peace and tranquility, which was enhanced by the implementation of the Territorial Control Plan and then the exception regime,
With the best security conditions, El Salvador has once again become an attractive destination to visit and invest in.
«Naturally, tourism is something that has grown the most in the past year (2022), and that brings with it better investments. There is an airline tourism that is growing and that is destined for El Salvador,” the minister recently told the American news network Americano Media.
The official added that this mystique of work, which has only been achieved in the administration of President Nayib Bukele, is the one that will continue to be implemented, since he said that “we have to continue betting on justice” which is an element that countries of the first world like the United States and others from Europe share.
According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, during 2022 the number of visitors to El Salvador was 2.5 million (expectations were 2.4 million); this represents a 95% recovery from those registered in 2019 before the pandemic. At the end of last year, foreign currency income exceeded $2.6 billion.