El Salvador nets $372.3 million out of tourism

El Salvador grabbed $372.3 million worth of tourism revenues in 2003, up 8.8 percent from 2002, the Salvadoran Tourism Corporation (CORSATUR) informed.

In a report released Monday, the institution points to a $58.4 million hike compared to the same period of time the year before.

This cash flow has propelled the local leisure industry as the chart topper of the country’s major hard-currency makers, way above traditional crops like coffee, sugar and shrimps.

Regardless of this hard-currency upturn, the number of travelers dwindled from last year to 855,775. Back in 2002, the country was visited by 950,597 sunbathers.

The CORSATUR report also says the inflow of vacationers in 2002 was mostly spurred up by the Central American and Caribbean Games.

Guatemala goes on to be the El Salvador’s number-one tourist sender, followed by the U.S., Nicaragua, Honduras and the European nations.