SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – Tourism earned El Salvador a total of US$399,565,060 between the months of January and May 2008, according to a report made public today by the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) through the Salvadorean Tourism Corporation (CORSATUR).
As detailed in the report, this is the result of the arrival of 813,810 foreign tourists and adventure seekers, representing a 24% rise in the number of arrivals and a 13% increase in revenues.
Guatemala remains El Salvador’s number one source of foreign tourists with 199,045 arrivals, nearly 36% of the total number during the first four months of the year. The figure rose some 7.65% with respect to 2007. The United States continues being second with 139,402 arrivals, some 25% of the total number, followed by Honduras, with 85,805 arrivals at 15.32%.
“The importance of Central American tourists remains significant, although we are already noticing changes in the growth trends in the US and European regional markets as a result of efforts made to attract these markets and reach the goal of changing the arrival mix in fulfillment of the Federal Tourism Plan (PNT) 2014,” said Tourism Minister Ruben Rochi.
Statistics on the nation’s tourist behavior shows a rising trend throughout the period, and it is estimated that a total of 1.7 million tourists and adventure seekers will have arrived in El Salvador by the end of 2008.
MITUR’s promotional work in the US will be strengthened in the next few months by the opening on June 25 of a new promotional office of CA-4 nations – Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador. Such case aims at maximizing resources and positioning tourist destinations in relation to the largest market in the region – the United States and Canada.
