With just one month to go, the leading B2B event for the Salvadoran tourism sector is putting the finishing touches to its second edition, which will bring together international buyers and local companies from 14 to 18 September.
The countdown to El Salvador Travel Market 2026 (ESTM) has already begun. With just one month to go and very few places left, San Salvador has hosted the official launch of this second edition, which comes at a time of rapid international growth for Salvadoran tourism and with a clear commitment to turning that interest into new business opportunities.
Organised by the Salvadoran Chamber of Tourism (CASATUR), with the support of the El Salvador Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) and the Salvadoran Tourism Corporation (CORSATUR), ESTM will take place from 14 to 18 September at the Hilton San Salvador Hotel and will bring together international buyers, wholesalers and tour operators from North America, Europe and Latin America with the country’s tourism companies and suppliers.
During the presentation, the Minister for Tourism, Morena Valdez, highlighted the period of growth and transformation that Salvadoran tourism is currently undergoing, as well as the opportunity to translate this international standing into investment, employment and business for the country.
“El Salvador Travel Market has established itself as a strategic platform for strengthening commercial partnerships and connecting our tourism offering with the main international markets. Initiatives such as this contribute to the growth of the industry and to positioning El Salvador as a competitive destination for generating business amongst wholesalers from around the world”, Morena Valdez, Minister of Tourism for El Salvador.
The event comes at an excellent time for the destination. El Salvador welcomed over 4.1 million international visitors in 2025, alongside the development of new infrastructure, improved connectivity and the diversification of an offering that now encompasses surfing, nature, culture, adventure, gastronomy and wellbeing.
This evolution in tourism will have a direct commercial dimension at ESTM. The B2B programme is expected to feature over 900 business meetings, with 15-minute appointments pre-arranged through a professional matchmaking system between international buyers and Salvadoran companies.
Before sitting down to negotiate, international participants will get to know the destination through specialised familiarisation trips, gastronomic and cultural experiences, and visits to different parts of the country – a format that brings El Salvador’s tourism offering closer to those who may subsequently include it in their programmes and catalogues.
For Carlos Umaña, president of CASATUR, the event represents an opportunity to translate the destination’s growth into business opportunities:
“ESTM is made possible thanks to everyone’s efforts. El Salvador no longer simply seeks to be known; we want it to be sold, included in itineraries and marketed internationally.
With this new edition, CASATUR aims for the event to evolve beyond an annual gathering and establish itself as a permanent tool for generating business, fostering sectoral collaboration and connecting the Salvadoran tourism industry with international markets.”
ESTM 2026 also builds on the momentum of its inaugural edition, which was very well received by buyers and industry professionals, reinforcing a model that combines destination experiences with high-value professional meetings.
The presentation also served to recognise the role of the strategic partners and sponsors supporting this second edition, whose collaboration is essential to the success of the event. The organisers expressed their special thanks for the support of Iberia, Avianca, Iberojet, Volaris, TAG Airlines, Banco Cuscatlán, Decameron Hotels, the Hilton Hotel, Avante and the Historic Centre of San Salvador, as well as the strategic partners: Acantilados, Ron Cihuatán, Copa, the Association of Tour Operators of El Salvador (ASOTUR), Cadejo Beer and the Intercontinental Hotel for their commitment to an initiative that unites the Salvadoran tourism sector around its international promotion and marketing.
With the last few places still available and just one month to go, El Salvador Travel Market 2026 is now entering its final stretch. From 14 to 18 September, San Salvador will once again bring together tourism and business in a destination that continues to gain ground on the international stage.
Further information: www.elsalvadortravelmarket.com
Source: MUNKA Comunicación