El Salvador Travel Market brought together around a hundred international participants, 56 exhibiting tourism companies and 20 Salvadoran SMEs, in an event characterised by the creation of business opportunities and the direct promotion of the destination.
El Salvador Travel Market 2026 (ESTM) concluded its second edition, held from 14 to 18 September, consolidating its role as a platform connecting El Salvador’s tourism sector with international markets, following several days dedicated to raising awareness of the destination, promotion and, in particular, the creation of new business opportunities.
Organised by the Salvadoran Chamber of Tourism (CASATUR), with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and CORSATUR, ESTM brought together around a hundred international participants and featured representation from 17 countries: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Sweden and Uruguay.
The exhibition area featured 56 stands run by tourism companies, which had the opportunity to present their offerings directly to international buyers and industry professionals. They were joined by 20 Salvadoran SMEs, which showcased a selection of handicrafts and locally produced goods, bringing the country’s talent, identity and creativity to the event.
Nearly a thousand meetings to generate business
The commercial element once again took centre stage at this second edition. Through the ESTM 2026 matching platform, 988 B2B meetings were scheduled between international buyers and Salvadoran tourism companies. These professional meetings provided an opportunity to showcase products, establish new professional contacts and explore potential marketing agreements with buyers from various source markets.
Based on the number of meetings held and the sector’s average contract values, the organisers estimate that the opportunities generated during ESTM 2026 could represent a business potential of several million dollars in the short to medium term.
For Carlos Umaña, president of CASATUR, the outcome of this second edition confirms the event’s role as a tool designed to generate real opportunities for the Salvadoran private sector.
“Bringing this second edition to a close with 988 B2B meetings demonstrates that El Salvador Travel Market is, above all, a platform for generating business. We have brought together buyers from a wide range of markets with our tourism companies and created nearly a thousand opportunities to establish commercial relationships. That is the path we want to follow: ensuring that the growing interest in El Salvador translates into greater visibility in international markets and more opportunities for our sector,” said the president of the Salvadoran Chamber of Tourism (CASATUR).
The Minister for Tourism, Morena Valdez, also highlighted the value of public-private partnership and the role of ESTM in strengthening the country’s tourism offering.
“We congratulate the private sector in tourism which, through the El Salvador Travel Market, has welcomed more than 100 wholesalers from 17 different countries. From the public sector’s perspective, it is important to strengthen strategic partnerships with the private sector so that more businesses can bolster their investments, as this contributes to positioning our country as a destination and to consolidating our tourism offering,” Morena Valdez, El Salvador’s Minister of Tourism.
The trade event was preceded by six familiarisation tours, during which international buyers and representatives of the specialist media were able to experience the country’s various products and experiences first-hand before sitting down at the negotiating tables.
The itineraries introduced participants to the country’s historical and cultural heritage, nature, volcanoes, beaches, surfing, coffee, gastronomy, local communities and local produce, showcasing the diversity of experiences that can be incorporated into the international marketing of the destination.
International visibility for El Salvador
The international dimension of the event was further enhanced by the presence of media representatives from various markets, who took part in ESTM’s activities and experienced the country first-hand, gaining an insight into its tourism offering.
Their participation has helped to broaden the reach of this second edition and showcase to international audiences both the development of tourism in El Salvador and some of the experiences and products that form part of its appeal as a destination.
ESTM 2026 was also made possible thanks to the support of its sponsors: Banco Cuscatlán, Avianca, Decameron, Iberia, Centro Histórico, Volaris, Iberojet, Avante Complejo Hospitalario, Hilton San Salvador, TAG Airlines, Transportes del Sol, Copa Airlines, Instituto Salvadoreño del Café and Café del Centro. Furthermore, the event featured the participation of its strategic partners Cadejo, Ron Cihuatán, Real InterContinental San Salvador and ASOTUR, as well as institutional support from the Ministry of Tourism and CORSATUR.
The National Palace puts the finishing touch to ESTM 2026
The closing ceremony of this second edition took place at one of the country’s most iconic venues: the National Palace of El Salvador. All participants at ESTM 2026, alongside officials and guests, gathered for a closing dinner that brought several days of professional activity, tourism promotion and meetings between the Salvadoran industry and international markets to a close.
The event also served as a meeting point following an intensive day of B2B meetings and as the official closing ceremony for an edition that sought to combine two objectives: showcasing El Salvador on the ground and facilitating the transformation of that knowledge into commercial relationships.
With this second edition, El Salvador Travel Market continues to make progress towards its goal of connecting the Salvadoran tourism sector with international buyers, opening up new marketing channels and turning the growing interest in the destination into concrete business opportunities for the country.
Further information: www.elsalvadortravelmarket.com
Source: MUNKA Comunicación