El Salvador leads CCT towards multidestination

El Salvador’s presidency pro tempore of the Central American Tourism Council (CCT) marks a new stage in the promotion of regional tourism and the multi-destination concept, with a strong commitment to innovation, collaboration and sustainability.

Representatives of the Central American countries at the handover of the presidency of the Central American Tourism Council (CCT) to El Salvador (Credit: SITCA)

El Salvador recently took over the presidency pro tempore of the Central American Tourism Council (CCT), a platform dedicated to regional tourism integration. The CCT – a component of the SICA (Central American Integration System) – is made up of tourism ministers from the governments of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic. During the second half of 2023, El Salvador has committed to using all the tools at its disposal to promote the “multidestination” concept, aimed at strengthening the region’s competitiveness and the attractiveness of its complementary destinations to attract international travellers, particularly those from European, North American and intra-regional markets.

El Salvador’s Minister of Tourism, Morena Valdez, stressed that the government of President Nayib Bukele is committed to working with the countries in the region to strengthen the multi-destination concept and make the region a competitive tourism block, applying innovation, promotion and new links with the private sector.

Among the fundamental pillars of El Salvador’s management at the head of the CCT are the development of joint communication and marketing strategies, as well as the strengthening of relations with airlines, with the aim of enhancing the region’s connectivity. In addition, El Salvador is committed to strengthening the management of the Agency by promoting collaborative working for sustainable growth and shared benefits.

El Salvador is also committed to strengthening the entrepreneurial fabric, and will work closely with the private sector to consolidate the integration of SMEs into the new global tourism dynamic. This will be done in particular through the organisation of the Central America Travel Market (CATM) to be held in April 2024 in El Salvador, an event that has not been held since 2019.