El Salvador’s tourism sector has achieved a major milestone by welcoming 95,159 international visitors during the August holiday period from July 31 to August 7. According to Any Aguiñada, president of the Salvadoran Institute of Tourism (ISTU), this figure represents a 5.2% year-over-year growth compared to the 90,454 tourists recorded in 2025. The influx successfully outperformed the initial benchmark of 95,000 visitors set by the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur).
Cross-border mobility and diaspora travel served as primary engines for this growth, led closely by Guatemala with over 32,000 arrivals and the United States with 31,000 visitors. Honduras followed with 19,000 travelers, while rest-of-world destinations contributed more than 10,900. Highlighting the shift in regional habits, Aguiñada noted that “due to proximity, Central American brothers have found in El Salvador a new country to explore that is less than six hours away.”
Alongside international arrivals, domestic travel experienced an unprecedented surge, drawing over 3.26 million visitorsto public recreational sites—a 13.5% increase from the previous year. Local families opted to explore home soil, driving massive turnouts across popular venues. SiverLand amusement park alone drew over 1.4 million visitors, while the historic center of San Salvador welcomed more than one million tourists.
The sustained popularity of urban culture and natural landmarks underscores the broader revitalization of the national tourism landscape. As Aguiñada emphasized regarding the capital’s historic core, “the revitalization of the area allows people to tour plazas with cultural activities and gastronomy; every time there is something new to do.” Beyond the capital, coastal destinations like La Libertad remained top choices, alongside major ISTU-managed natural parks including Apulo, Amapulapa, Cerro Verde, Puerta del Diablo, and Ichanmichen.