The International Airport of El Salvador has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing the mark of 1 million passengers served in 2024. According to data from the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA), between January 1st and March 10th, 2024, services at the airport increased by 42% compared to the same period the previous year.
The influx of both nationals and foreigners traversing the country’s various land, sea, and air borders continues to rise, underscoring El Salvador’s current significance for tourism, residency, and investment.
CEPA statistics reveal that over 1 million travelers have been served at the International Airport of El Salvador between January 1st and March 10th, 2024, representing a 42% increase over the same period last year. Moreover, the autonomous body has recorded over 9,000 passenger flight operations by the 14 commercial airlines operating at the airport, marking a 29% increase compared to 2023.
In a similar vein, the Directorate General of Migration and Foreigners reported that between January 1st and February 29th, 2024, over 2.3 million migration processes involving nationals and foreigners were registered at the country’s various borders. Of these, 1,177,244 were entries and 1,195,592 were exits during the period. Furthermore, 58% of this movement corresponds to foreigners entering the country during the initial months of the year.
Migration asserts that in just the first two months of 2024, 682,831 foreigners entered the country through both air terminals and the six land borders, as well as maritime borders.
“The majority of foreigners visit for tourism, followed by business or work, and other activities such as cultural and sports events,” detailed the institution.
Additionally, it noted that tourists from Guatemala, the United States, Honduras, Nicaragua, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador are among the top 10 nationalities visiting El Salvador.
Migration’s data aligns with recent reports from President Nayib Bukele, who highlighted significant international tourism growth in El Salvador in the first months of the year compared to the previous year. International tourism in the country has grown by 35% year-on-year in the current period.