The Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) in El Salvador has confirmed that seven cruise ships are scheduled to visit the country in 2025. According to Tourism Minister Morena Valdez, these cruises are particularly attracted to the summer season in El Salvador, with the cruise season typically spanning from October to May.

While the current cruise season began in October 2024, neither Mitur nor the Executive Port Commission (CEPA) confirmed the arrival of the first ship for the season. The last cruise reported by CEPA was the Crystal Serenity, which docked in January 2024, bringing over 1,200 foreign tourists to El Salvador as part of the 2023-2024 season.

In 2023, El Salvador welcomed 18,000 cruise passengers aboard 13 ships, according to the Secretariat of Central American Tourism Integration (Sitca). From 2009 to 2023, the country has hosted more than 50,000 cruise tourists and 65 ships.

Minister Valdez emphasized the positive impact these cruise arrivals will have on the country’s tourism projections for 2025. El Salvador anticipates over 4.2 million international visitors this year. The tourism calendar is also filled with international surfing tournaments, golf competitions, and various activities in public spaces such as the historic center of San Salvador.

Recent data from the Salvadoran Institute of Tourism (Istu) shows that in 2024, the country received over 3.9 million international visitors, marking a 17% increase from 2023. Of these visitors, 80% stayed overnight, while 20% were day-trippers. The government reported that half of the tourists entered by land, with the other half arriving by air. During the same period, 12 million visits were recorded at public sites, with one million tourists visiting parks and beaches during the year-end season alone.

The growing number of cruise ship arrivals and overall visitor increases reflect El Salvador’s expanding appeal as a tourist destination.