Narayan AmmachchiThe tourism industry in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced rapid growth in 2024, with seven countries generating substantial revenue.
Leading the Latin American nations was El Salvador, according to a UN Tourism report. Once plagued by drug-related violence, the Central American country saw its tourism revenue surge by more than 200%.
Tourist arrivals increased by 81% compared to the previous year, ranking El Salvador second globally, just behind Qatar, which recorded a 137% rise.
Other notable performances came from countries such as Curaçao (+51%), Colombia (+37%), Guatemala (+33%), the Dominican Republic (+32%), Aruba (+27%), and Panama (+17%).
This tourism resurgence reflects a broader recovery that has restored international travel to pre-pandemic levels.
For El Salvador, the transformation was profound. President Nayib Bukele expressed pride in the achievement, stating that his country had evolved from “the murder capital of the world” into a top tourist destination.
The Latin American region attracted significant foreign direct investment (FDI) in tourism projects, securing over $20 billion in capital and creating more than 73,000 jobs between 2019 and 2023.
In early 2024, the UN signed a cooperative agreement with the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), persuading it to fund nearly 70 tourism infrastructure projects, including power distribution systems, ports, cable cars, and civil engineering infrastructure.
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