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El Salvador · Economy · · 5 minute readOfficial figures released this week show 4.1 million international visitors in 2025, the best year in the country’s history, led by travellers from Guatemala, the United States and Honduras.
El Salvador has closed the strongest tourism year in its history. According to figures shared by Tourism Minister Morena Valdez on January 5, 2026, the country received 4.1 million international visitors between January 1 and December 31, 2025. The Salvadoran Tourism Institute (ISTU), the government agency that runs public parks, beaches and recreation centres, confirmed it as the highest number on record.
"These 4.1 million international visitors are historic figures," said ISTU president Eny Aguiñada, adding that the country now draws people not only from the United States but from its Central American neighbours and further afield.
ISTU's breakdown shows how regional the growth has been:
The year ended strongly. Between December 20, 2025 and January 4, 2026, the Ministry of Tourism counted 271,000 international arrivals, with visitors from outside the three main markets up 14%. Among the most visited places in that period were the Christmas village in San Salvador's historic centre, the National Library, Surf City on the Pacific coast and Balboa Park. Salvadorans travelled at home too, with 5.9 million domestic visits to parks, beaches and recreation sites in December alone.
The 2025 figure builds on an already strong 2024. A year ago the ministry reported 3.9 million international visitors for 2024, up 17% on 2023, and said the share staying at least one night had risen to about 3.2 million, from 2.4 million the year before. Overnight visitors matter most to the economy, because they spend on hotels, restaurants and transport rather than passing through. Moving from 3.9 million to 4.1 million means growth of roughly 5% on top of that jump.
Officials credit better security, improved connectivity and investment in tourist infrastructure. Outside assessments point the same way. In April 2025 the US State Department lowered its travel advisory for El Salvador to Level 1, "exercise normal precautions", the lowest of its four levels, citing a decline in gang activity and a resulting drop in violent crime and murders. The advisory also notes that the state of exception, an emergency regime in place since March 2022 that suspends some constitutional protections for people arrested, remains in force. When the International Monetary Fund approved its loan program in February 2025, it described an economy expanding on the back of strong remittances, tourism and a greatly improved security situation.
Sport has become part of the pitch. The Pacific coast around La Libertad is promoted as Surf City, and at the start of 2025 the ministry planned five surf tournaments and two golf events for the year to draw international visitors.
The tourism numbers are part of a wider strategy of opening the country to visitors, residents and capital. In December 2023 El Salvador launched the Freedom Visa, which offers residency and a fast track to citizenship for a US$1 million contribution paid in bitcoin or USDT, a digital token designed to hold a value of one US dollar. It is capped at 1,000 people a year and has no requirement to live in the country.
A record year for tourism does not change the program's rules, but it does change the picture around it. A country that 4.1 million people chose to visit last year is a different proposition from the El Salvador many investors remember from a decade ago. For residents, more visitors support a wider range of restaurants, transport and services. For investors, rising arrivals are the kind of steady demand signal that hospitality and service businesses look for, in an economy that uses the US dollar and so carries no currency risk for dollar based investors.
A second passport is only as useful as the country behind it, and El Salvador's direction of travel over the past few years has been clear: falling crime, a stabilisation program with the IMF and now record visitor numbers. For someone weighing the Freedom Visa, that makes the country easier to visit and spend time in, and adds to the case that the citizenship is a living connection rather than just a document. As with any single country, we suggest treating it as one part of a broader plan alongside residencies or citizenships elsewhere. We help clients assess and apply for the program, work with our local team and quote our fixed fee in writing.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice.
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