August 2023 Vacation Season in El Salvador is set to welcome over 480,000 travelers, according to details provided by the Ministry of Tourism.
The projected number of travelers for this year’s August vacation period, encompassing arrivals and departures, represents a significant increase compared to the same period in the previous year, 2022.
Officials from the Ministry of Tourism emphasized that a total of 486,000 incoming and outgoing travelers are expected this year, marking a 24% rise compared to the numbers recorded last year.
In light of this panorama, Federico Anliker, the President of the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA), announced the deployment of over 1,600 collaborators to attend to the influx of visitors. Anliker pointed out that 57% of tourists enter through El Salvador’s airports and highlighted the current faster and more efficient processes in place.
Anliker further explained that the country’s airports have attended to over 2.2 million travelers so far this year, marking a 22% increase over the previous year 2022. He characterized these figures as historic and credited them to the strategies implemented by President Nayib Bukele’s government.
Meanwhile, Ricardo Cucalón, the Director of Migration and Foreign Affairs, confirmed the projection of 486,000 travelers, including arrivals and departures, for this August vacation period. He stated that over 450 migration officers would be available to assist more than 50,000 travelers daily at various border points.
Out of the total projected number of travelers, Cucalón specified that 325,000 arrivals and departures would be handled through land borders. To avoid delays in the processes, he urged travelers to complete their pre-checks online.
Cucalón also mentioned that they are continually implementing improvements, allowing permits for minors to be processed online. Additionally, he added that eight branches would be operational until July 31st, with the agencies in Cascadas, Santa Ana, Usulután, and San Miguel operating under extended hours.
The surge in projected tourist numbers reflects the growing appeal of El Salvador as a vacation destination. With efficient processes and strategic government initiatives, the country is poised to provide a warm welcome to travelers during the August 2023 vacation season.