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Max & Stacy Golf Invitational Puts El Salvador’s Security and Investment Climate on Display.
This Friday, January 9, 2026, El Salvador steps into the international spotlight with the opening of the Max & Stacy Golf Invitational 2026, an event that reflects the country’s growing reputation as a safe, confident, and opportunity-rich destination. Hosted at the prestigious El Encanto Golf Club in La Libertad, the Invitational is expected to gather around 400 participants, including business leaders, international investors, and prominent figures from the global Bitcoin ecosystem.
Organized by Bitcoin Sports Network and led by Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert, advisers to President Nayib Bukele on Bitcoin-related matters, the event goes beyond a traditional golf tournament. Alongside the main competition, the agenda includes a poker tournament and a pickleball tournament, creating multiple spaces for interaction and networking. This diversified format is designed to attract high-value visitors while showcasing El Salvador’s capacity to host world-class events in a secure and well-developed environment.
Among the confirmed attendees are Texas Slim, a well-known U.S. cattle rancher, and Patrick Lowry, CEO of Samara Asset Group, adding to a lineup that underscores the event’s investment-oriented profile. Their presence reinforces El Salvador’s appeal to international actors exploring new opportunities in tourism, agriculture, technology, and finance.
The Invitational also serves as a platform to project a broader national narrative. El Salvador is increasingly perceived not through questions about security, but as an aspirational destination where stability, modern infrastructure, and innovation converge. High-end sporting events such as this send clear signals of readiness for premium tourism and long-term investment.
Beyond its immediate economic impact on hotels, restaurants, transportation, and local services, the Max & Stacy Golf Invitational highlights the role of human connection in economic development. By bringing people together in a relaxed, in-person setting, the event fosters trust-based relationships that often lead to repeat visits, business projects, and sustained engagement with the country.
More than a celebration of sport, the Max & Stacy Golf Invitational positions El Salvador as a meeting point for safety, opportunity, and global collaboration, reinforcing its emergence as a confident player on the international stage.
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El Salvador Tourism Revenue Surpasses $3.6 Billion in 2025.
International tourism generated more than $3.6 billion in revenue for El Salvador’s economy in 2025, according to Tourism Minister Morena Valdez, confirming one of the strongest performances the sector has ever recorded. The figure represents an increase compared to 2024 and highlights the country’s continued recovery and expansion as a regional tourism destination.
Speaking during the announcement of an international cycling event, Valdez stated that El Salvador welcomed 4.1 million international visitors by December 2025, generating over $3.6 billion in foreign currency inflows. “We were informed in December 2025 that we had received 4.1 million international visitors, equivalent to more than $3.6 billion in foreign exchange income, a 7% increase compared to 2024,” she said. Official records indicate that tourism revenue in 2024 closed at approximately $3.41 billion.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the 2025 results place the sector among its highest historical levels, comparable to 2023, when international tourism generated $3.664 billion. While the year-over-year increase is estimated at around 5.5% when comparing 2024 and 2025 figures, authorities note that past data may still be subject to adjustments.
Looking ahead to 2026, the government projects reaching 4.2 million international visitors and is revising revenue forecasts upward. Valdez emphasized that sports, cultural, and entertainment events are playing a key role in this growth, including the national cycling tour scheduled for January 15–31, international golf tournaments, the Ilopango Air Show, the Ironman competition, and major music residencies. The government maintains that participants and visitors to these events become informal ambassadors for El Salvador, promoting the country abroad through personal recommendations.
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Costa Rica Invites President Bukele to Review New Mega-Prison Modeled After El Salvador.
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves will meet next week with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in Costa Rica, as regional attention continues to grow around El Salvador’s security strategy and prison infrastructure. The visit will focus on Costa Rica’s new high-security prison project, which draws inspiration from El Salvador’s approach to combating organized crime.
During a recent press conference, Chaves confirmed the upcoming visit, stating, “We will have the honor in Costa Rica of welcoming the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, next week, who is coming to see the major progress of the Cacco project, our prison.” The Center for High Containment and Organized Crime (Cacco) is being built in La Reforma, Alajuela province, with an investment of $34 million and a capacity for 5,000 inmates.
Chaves explained that the facility is intended to prepare Costa Rica for tougher action against violent crime once legal reforms are enacted. “When we can change this country’s laws against crime and finally have a judicial system that works as it should, we will be ready to isolate hitmen and criminals from society,” he said.
Several governments in the region have shown interest in building large-scale prisons inspired by El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), located in Tecoluca, San Vicente Sur. The Cecot was constructed by the Salvadoran government to hold gang leaders and organized crime figures arrested under the state of exception.
Chaves visited the Cecot in mid-December as part of an official state visit to El Salvador, which also included the signing of the “Shield of the Americas” alliance, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on regional security. “Nayib is coming to continue advising us, inspect the progress [of Cacco], and show the people of Costa Rica that we can and must provide security to a population that demands it,” Chaves said.
This will mark the third meeting between the two presidents, following Bukele’s first official visit to Costa Rica in November 2024. President Chaves is set to conclude his term in May.
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Tour El Salvador 2026 Brings 18 International Cycling Teams to the Country This January.
El Salvador will once again take center stage in international sports as the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) announced a new edition of the Tour El Salvador 2026, set to begin on January 16. This marks the third consecutive year the country hosts the cycling competition, following previous editions in 2024 and 2025, with races taking place across multiple regions nationwide.
According to MOPT Minister Romeo Rodríguez, the event will feature 18 professional teams from 12 different countries and will extend over a two-week period. “Starting January 16, we will hold the inauguration in the Historic Center. We will have different surprises and activities, and until January 31 a series of Tour El Salvador events will take place,” Rodríguez said during a press conference.
The competition will include cyclists from countries such as China, Italy, Colombia, Mexico, Switzerland, Ecuador, Spain, and El Salvador, among others. Authorities highlighted the diversity of participating nations as a sign of the growing international recognition of El Salvador as a host for high-level sporting events.
Tour El Salvador 2026 will run from Friday, January 16, through Saturday, January 31, with stages held in emblematic locations including the Historic Center of San Salvador, the Surf City Bypass in La Libertad, Cerro Verde and downtown Santa Ana, Puerta del Diablo in Panchimalco, and the central parks of Sonsonate and Usulután. The event is expected to combine elite cycling with cultural and touristic promotion across the country.
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El Salvador Boosts Winter Tourism With Free Wellness and Beach Activities at Surf City.
El Salvador will strengthen its tourism offering this January with a series of free wellness and recreational activities at Surf City, in La Libertad, aimed at both local visitors and international tourists spending the winter season in the country. The initiative was announced by Tourism Minister Morena Valdez, who highlighted the extended stays of travelers, mainly from the United States and Canada, seeking warmer destinations during North America’s winter months.
The activities will take place from January 12 to 30 across some of the country’s most popular beaches, including El Zonte, El Sunzal, El Tunco, Punta Roca, and El Sunzalito. Visitors will be able to enjoy yoga sessions, slackline, beach jiu jitsu, ocean swimming, beach volleyball, surf lessons, and a recreational race, among other experiences designed to promote wellness, community, and outdoor living.
According to Valdez, the agenda is part of the “Wellness and Friends” initiatives, created to enrich the tourist experience in both coastal and mountain areas where international visitation remains strong. She also underscored El Salvador’s sustained tourism growth, confirming that the country welcomed 4.1 million international visitors in 2025, surpassing the official target of four million. Of that total, 87 percent stayed overnight in the country, while 13 percent were same-day visitors, reinforcing El Salvador’s position as an increasingly attractive destination for longer stays.
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El Salvador’s Transfer365 Moves Over $4 Billion Monthly, Becoming the Country’s Most Used Digital Payment Platform.
El Salvador’s interbank transfer platform Transfer365 has consolidated its position as the country’s most widely used digital payment system, processing more than five million transactions and over $4 billion every month. According to the Central Reserve Bank (BCR), the platform operates 24/7, 365 days a year, and remains completely free for users, making it a cornerstone of everyday financial activity nationwide.
“It settles more than five million operations a month and over four billion dollars; everyone knows it, it is the preferred choice of Salvadorans 24/7, 365 days a year, and completely free,” said BCR President Douglas Rodríguez. Official data show that in the last four years alone, Transfer365 processed $74.26 billion across more than 81 million transactions. Notably, women carried out 47.7 percent of these operations, highlighting meaningful progress in financial inclusion and digital adoption.
Rodríguez also emphasized recent improvements in settlement times and transparency, which have strengthened public trust in the system. “Now when you send a transfer, you also receive a message or email informing who sends it, the amount, and who receives it,” he explained. All transactions are automatically reflected in the online banking statements of participating financial institutions, further reinforcing reliability and traceability.
A nationwide survey covering urban and rural areas across El Salvador’s 14 departments revealed that 40.6 percent of adults made at least one interbank transfer in the past year, while 86.6 percent received money through digital banking platforms. Of these users, 80.2 percent relied on Transfer365, citing its constant availability, zero cost, speed, and operation during holidays and vacation periods. Currently, 26 institutions—including private banks, cooperatives, state banks, and the Ministry of Finance—offer the service, underscoring its scale and strategic importance within El Salvador’s modern financial ecosystem.
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How El Salvador’s 2026 Trade Plan Uses Artificial Intelligence to Speed Up Imports and Exports.
El Salvador has taken a new step in modernizing its foreign trade system with the launch of the National Trade Facilitation Plan (PNFC) 2026, which prioritizes artificial intelligence, digitalization, and advanced technologies to streamline procedures, strengthen transparency, and improve logistics efficiency. The plan was published this week by the Inter-Trade Commission for Trade Facilitation (CIFACIL) and serves as the annual operational phase of the 2026–2030 Multiannual Trade Facilitation Plan.
The PNFC 2026 is built on close coordination between the public and private sectors, positioning institutional cooperation as a key pillar for executing reforms. The plan is organized around six strategic pillars that guide government agencies and productive sectors in transforming how trade is managed across borders.
One of the most innovative components is Strategic Pillar 1, which focuses on accelerating and digitalizing procedures to foster a competitive business environment. This includes the use of artificial intelligence to validate the authenticity and integrity of trade documents through automated requirement analysis and an optical character recognition (OCR) and AI module integrated into El Salvador’s Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCE). The plan also advances the digitalization of foreign trade procedures, the adoption of electronic signatures for import and export processes, and the creation of a single digital window for the transportation of hazardous materials.
Beyond digital tools, the plan also targets physical and operational infrastructure. Strategic Pillar 2 promotes the modernization of key border crossings such as San Cristóbal, El Poy, La Hachadura, and Las Chinamas, as well as improvements to the San Bartolo internal customs facility. It also envisions an airport equipped with adequate physical and technological infrastructure and the development of a modern national logistics road network to support trade flows.
Additional pillars address coordinated border management through a single-control model, legal modernization to mandate digital documents and signatures, greater transparency through public access to fees and accredited laboratories, and the strengthening of human capital through technical training and capacity building. Together, these measures position El Salvador as a country committed to faster, more transparent, and globally aligned trade processes, an approach that could be increasingly relevant for U.S. companies and investors engaged with the Salvadoran market.
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El Salvador Airport Expansion Reaches 80% Completion as Passenger Demand Surges.
El Salvador continues to strengthen its air connectivity as the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA) reported 80 percent progress in the construction of the new baggage handling terminal at the San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport. The project responds to the rapid growth in passenger demand at the country’s main air gateway, which has experienced record traffic in recent years.
During an interview on Diálogo 21, CEPA President Federico Anliker explained that the expansion has been developed in phases to address congestion in critical areas. “We have reached 80 percent completion on this project, and we have moved forward step by step. We already inaugurated the pre-check-in area, which was also saturated,” Anliker said.
Once completed, the new terminal will have the capacity to handle more than 10,500 bags and up to 6,000 passengers per hour. The project, which broke ground in September 2025, represents an investment exceeding $47.2 million and covers more than 17,000 square meters on the eastern wing of the terminal inaugurated two years ago. Authorities expect construction to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
CEPA also announced future improvements, including a new parking structure that will add 2,000 spaces to the existing 2,500. In 2025 alone, the airport served more than 5.2 million passengers, moved nearly 40 million kilograms of cargo, and registered 51,000 commercial operations, a five percent increase compared to 2024.
Beyond the capital, Anliker confirmed continued progress at the Pacific International Airport in eastern El Salvador, where earthworks have reached 75 percent completion. “These works are being carried out with environmental care, especially due to nearby rivers. We adapt to nature,” he stated, adding that CEPA maintains its commitment to environmental protection as the project advances toward its first phase, expected to be completed within the next two years.
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El Salvador Airport Handles Over 5.2 Million Passengers in 2025, Signaling Sustained Growth
El Salvador’s International Airport San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez closed 2025 with more than 5.2 million passengers handled, confirming a sustained growth trend in the country’s air travel sector, according to the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA). The figure includes arrivals, departures, transit, and connecting passengers, placing the airport close to the historic 5.29 million passengers recorded in 2024.
CEPA president Federico Anliker highlighted that the results reflect consistent progress despite fluctuations during the year. “We reached 5.2 million passengers, including arrivals, departures, and transit, which means we are maintaining sustained growth at El Salvador’s International Airport,” Anliker said during a press conference. The airport also registered 51,000 flight operations in 2025, a 5 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Beyond passenger traffic, the airport posted strong gains in cargo movement, with an 11 percent increase that brought total cargo close to 40 million kilograms. This growth reinforces the airport’s role as a regional logistics hub and supports El Salvador’s expanding trade and tourism activity.
December remained the busiest month of the year, underscoring the country’s growing appeal as a travel destination. CEPA reported 524,000 passengers during the holiday season, a 4 percent increase compared to December 2024. “We had more arrivals than departures, which reflects the significant increase in tourism in the country,” Anliker noted. Looking ahead, CEPA expressed optimism about continued growth in 2026, supported by rising travel demand and increased airport operations.
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El Salvador’s Economic Performance Draws Praise From European Financial Press.
El Salvador’s economic outlook is gaining international attention after Spain’s financial newspaper El Economista highlighted the country’s stronger-than-expected growth and improved investment climate. The publication emphasized recent projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which now estimates that El Salvador’s gross domestic product will grow by around 4 percent in 2025.
According to El Economista, the Salvadoran economy is expanding faster than anticipated following several years of moderate growth. The IMF attributed this momentum to rising investor confidence, record levels of remittances, and a surge in both public and private investment. “The economy is expanding at a faster pace than expected, supported by higher confidence, strong remittance inflows, and robust investment,” the IMF stated through its mission chief for El Salvador.
The report also underscored the role of improved security and regulatory reforms in attracting foreign direct investment, positioning El Salvador as an increasingly competitive destination for international capital. Investment promotion agency Invest in El Salvador has capitalized on this momentum through outreach efforts in the United States, particularly in Texas and California, where it has presented new opportunities in manufacturing, logistics, fintech, tourism, and real estate.
President Nayib Bukele has publicly expressed confidence that economic growth could exceed IMF projections. “Our economy will grow above 4 percent this year,” Bukele said during a public event in December. The IMF, meanwhile, noted continued cooperation with Salvadoran authorities under its current financing program, highlighting progress on fiscal consolidation and social spending as key pillars supporting the country’s economic expansion.