Data from Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) reveals a significant increase in Salvadoran tourists visiting Peru in 2024, with numbers rising by more than 90% following the removal of visa requirements. Between January and November 2024, at least 6,586 Salvadorans traveled to Peru for tourism, marking a 98.5% increase compared to the 3,318 visitors recorded during the same period in 2023.
The surge in tourism coincides with the one-year anniversary of Peru’s decision to lift visa requirements for Salvadoran citizens. Until November 2023, El Salvador, along with Nicaragua, Haiti, and Cuba, were the only Central American and Caribbean countries whose citizens needed a visa to enter Peru. However, on November 28, 2023, the Peruvian government announced the removal of this requirement for Salvadorans, citing no security concerns.
In response, El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reciprocated the gesture by removing visa requirements for Peruvian tourists as of December 13, 2023.
Throughout the first eleven months of 2024, Peru welcomed over 2.9 million international tourists, with Salvadoran visitors making up 0.2% of this figure. Despite the relatively small percentage, the number of Salvadoran tourists marked the highest annual increase recorded by Mincetur since 2019, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
In 2019, 5,856 Salvadorans visited Peru, a figure that drastically dropped to 710 in 2020 due to the pandemic. A gradual recovery saw the numbers climb to 739 in 2021 and 5,088 in 2022, with 2023 ending with 3,639 visitors.
Lima remains the top destination for Salvadoran tourists, with 97.1% of visitors between January and November 2024 choosing the Peruvian capital. Other destinations like Puno, Tumbes, and Tacna also saw minor increases in Salvadoran visitors, with 0.4%, 0.2%, and 0.1% respectively.
This upward trend highlights the positive impact of eased travel restrictions on tourism and the growing interest of Salvadorans in exploring Peru’s diverse cultural and natural attractions.