La Libertad Beach El Salvador. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) released its list of the best-performing destinations for 2024; El Salvador ranked second behind Qatar and ahead of Albania, which ranks third.
El Salvador has undoubtedly made remarkable strides in global tourism, with the latest UN Tourism Barometer showcasing the country’s impressive post-COVID-19 recovery.
According to the UNWTO report, El Salvador achieved 81% growth in the first 10 to 12 months of 2024, which meant an increase from years before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Qatar leads the ranking with a 137% growth, followed by El Salvador in second with 81%, Albania in third with 80%, Saudi Arabia at 69%, and Curaçao at 51%.
Improved Security Has Helped El Salvador Tourism
After years of violence and being considered an unsafe country to visit, El Salvador has reached a level of security not seen in over 50 years; this security improvement has helped the country’s tourism industry.
In response to El Salvador’s high WTO ranking, President Nayib Bukele shared on his X account that the nation had transformed from “the world capital of homicides to the second best-performing tourist destination globally.”
From the murder capital of the world to the second highest-performing tourist destination in the world. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
The country’s security improvement is one of the principal key factors behind El Salvador’s thriving tourism industry in recent years. In 2023, the UNWTO ranked the country as the fifth best-performing destination.
SEE ALSO: El Salvador Among the Top 5 Best Performing Tourist Destinations Worldwide in 2023
Two other Central American countries also made the top 20 list: Guatemala ranks 10th with a 33% tourism growth, and Panama is 20th with 17%.
El Salvador is looking to increase the number of tourists in 2025; tourism authorities aim to set a new record and attract over 4.2 million international visitors this year.
