El Salvador and Guatemala are experiencing a surge in tourism, transforming the region into one of Central America’s most vibrant travel markets. In 2025, El Salvador welcomed 4.1 million international visitors, continuing a trend of robust growth in tourism numbers. A significant portion of these tourists, around 1.5 million, hailed from neighboring Guatemala, demonstrating the close travel ties between the two countries.
Meanwhile, more than 1.75 million Salvadorans made the trip to Guatemala, underscoring the appeal of short, cross-border excursions and the rise in regional tourism activities. Unlike traditional tourism patterns heavily reliant on international flights, this growth is largely fueled by road travel. Nearly half of the tourists entering El Salvador did so by land, with Guatemala reporting even higher figures for overland arrivals.
This evolving travel dynamic, described by analysts as “exploration tourism,” is characterized by travelers seeking quick escapes to enjoy beaches, mountain towns, cultural sites, and nature. In El Salvador, Guatemalan tourists are drawn to the surf beaches of Playa El Tunco, El Sunzal, and El Zonte. Conversely, Salvadoran visitors to Guatemala often explore the country’s volcanic areas, hot springs, and mountain attractions.
Facilitating this tourism boom are improvements in border infrastructure and streamlined migration procedures, which have significantly reduced travel delays between the two nations. This burgeoning tourism corridor is not only boosting economic activity in border areas but also enhancing business prospects for local restaurants, hotels, and other enterprises. Officials predict that overland tourism will continue its upward trajectory through 2026.
This trend is also fostering competition for Costa Rica, which traditionally relies more on long-haul tourists from North America and Europe. As Central America increasingly positions itself as an interconnected multi-country destination, tourism operators are being encouraged to craft regional travel packages, further promoting the area as a cohesive, attractive option for global travelers.