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The executive director of the Corporación Salvadoreña de Turismo (Corsatur), Alejandra Durán, reported that the National Tourism Registry has surpassed 1,000 registered businesses, reflecting the growth and strengthening of the tourism sector in El Salvador.
The statements were made during a radio interview, where the official highlighted that there are currently more than 3,500 tourism-related businesses throughout the country, in addition to 323 registered tour guides.
Durán noted that Corsatur continues to promote the formalization of tourism businesses, as this allows companies to access promotion, institutional support, and various assistance programs. She explained that registered companies can receive training and apply for non-reimbursable funds in coordination with the Comisión Nacional de la Micro y Pequeña Empresa.
The official stated that the registration process has been streamlined thanks to the digitization of procedures, which aims to encourage more entrepreneurs and businesses to formally join the sector.
She also highlighted the significant growth in tourism in the country. She explained that El Salvador has set a goal of receiving 4.2 million international visitors by 2026. Between january and april, 1.7 million visitors have already been recorded, representing a 35% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
According to the executive director of Corsatur, february, march, and april of this year have been the months with the highest number of international tourist arrivals, with 473,000 visitors registered in april.
The official indicated that the main tourists arriving in the country come from Guatemala, the United States, and Honduras, although a growing number of visitors from Canada, Mexico, Panama, and Colombia are also being reported.
Durán attributed part of this growth to the hosting of international events and tourism promotion campaigns in neighboring countries, which aim to showcase El Salvador’s tourist activities and destinations.
She also explained that the strengthening of tourism is reflected in the national economy and job creation. She noted that before the pandemic, the country received fewer than 3 million visitors and the sector contributed approximately 6% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while currently it exceeds 10%.
She detailed that the sector’s growth has also led to nearly 57,000 formal jobs linked to tourism, including areas such as lodging, food services, tourist transportation, recreation, and tour operators.
Finally, the director of Corsatur emphasized that safety measures and the implementation of guidelines for adventure tourism activities have contributed to strengthening the confidence of both domestic and international visitors in the country’s various destinations.
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