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The Cámara Salvadoreña de Turismo (CASATUR) together with the minister of Tourism, Morena Valdez, inaugurated the second Congreso Anual de Turismo El Salvador 2026, a gathering that brings together 200 industry leaders to analyze the challenges facing the sector and establish priorities for 2027.
The congress is taking place on november 9 and 10 and includes the participation of business owners, tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, transportation companies, guides, hoteliers, and restaurant owners. During the event, attendees will vote in real time on 10 priorities to strengthen tourism, and the results will be presented to the minister of Tourism on november 10.
The goal is to increase the value of salvadoran services and destinations, as well as generate more foreign exchange earnings through longer stays and better utilization of the growing demand from visitors. To this end, the event addresses international trends, traveler experiences, and tools to improve business competitiveness.
Among the speakers is Sol Freixa, Commercial Vice President of Amadeus, who shares global trends and strategies for generating value in destinations. Also participating is Daniel Lezaca, Senior Commercial director for Colombia, the Caribbean, and Central America at the company, who will present on the different stages of the visitor experience, service distribution, profit margins, direct sales, and customer loyalty.
The agenda also includes Luis Pineda, a trainer and corporate consultant in the science of happiness and positive psychology applied to tourism, who will discuss how the service visitors receive can contribute to creating or diminishing the value of the tourist experience.
CASATUR President Carlos Umaña emphasized the importance of leveraging visitor growth to generate greater benefits for businesses, destinations, and workers in the sector. Minister Morena Valdez is participating in the national forum and will receive the 10 priorities defined by business leaders to guide the sector’s work during 2027.
Among the strategic themes mentioned by the minister are world-class event tourism, sustainability, infrastructure, connectivity, high-performance hospitality, service excellence, and the development of differentiated experiences to attract visitors with greater spending power. Valdez noted that coordination between the public and private sectors is key to strengthening El Salvador’s position as an attractive destination to visit, invest in, and live in.
According to data presented during the congress, El Salvador received 3,920,726 international visitors between january and october 2026, a 19% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Guatemala led the countries of residence with 1,603,239 visitors, followed by the United States with 1,028,829; Honduras with 804,076; and the rest of the world, with 484,582.
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