The number of Salvadorans living abroad who visit El Salvador for tourism has surged by 89.3% over the past five years, according to the latest report from the Salvadoran Tourism Corporation (Corsatur).
The report, published last week, reveals that non-resident Salvadoran tourists increased from 207,517 in 2019 to 392,890 in 2024, marking a growth of 185,373 visitors. This group forms part of the tourists who stayed at least one night in the country, driven by various motivations.
Authorities also confirmed that in 2024, El Salvador welcomed 3.9 million international tourists. Of these, 3.1 million stayed overnight, while 769,806 were day-trippers who returned to their countries the same day.
Among those who stayed overnight, 88% were non-resident foreigners, while 12% were Salvadorans living abroad. The number of Salvadoran expatriates traveling for tourism in 2024 reached its highest level in at least 12 years, surpassing 300,000 annually since 2023.
“Compared to 2019, Salvadorans residing abroad have increased by 89%, while foreign visitors have grown by 79%,” Corsatur stated.
Corsatur also highlighted that 80% of Salvadoran expatriates visiting for tourism in 2024 came from the United States, with the remainder arriving from other countries worldwide.
In terms of overall international tourism, over one-third of all overnight visitors—including both the diaspora and foreign tourists—were residents of the United States. Additionally, 26% came from Guatemala, and 16% from Honduras. Other top countries of origin included Nicaragua, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Brazil.
Regionally, 49% of overnight tourists came from Central America and the Caribbean, while 43% arrived from North America. Another 5% traveled from South America, 2% from Europe, and the remaining 1% from other parts of the world.
Despite these record-breaking figures, authorities have yet to disclose the total foreign exchange earnings generated by international tourism in the country.