El Salvador is experiencing a tourism boom that has transformed its image and positioned the country as host of major international events, including the Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games 2025.
The rise in visitors, among them Central American travelers and Salvadorans living abroad, has boosted hotel occupancy and the demand for tourism-related services. “Our hotels have higher occupancy. Our restaurants have higher occupancy. Tour operators are busier, we need more guides, more transport units, and so on,” said Carlos Umaña, president of the Salvadoran Chamber of Tourism (CASATUR), in a live interview with Diario El Salvador.
“The growth is definitely noticeable and completely satisfactory for the industry,” he added. According to Umaña, one of the decisive factors in this growth has been security, which has encouraged more travelers to choose the country as a vacation, investment, or cultural destination.
“We lost many events in the past due to security issues, and now it is the complete opposite. Thanks to security, we are seeing tourists come and growing international interest in our country,” he said.
The challenge now, according to industry leaders, is to extend the tourism boom across the entire nation by promoting areas such as archaeology, gastronomy, and the coffee route.