Guatemala and El Salvador open new direct air route to boost tourism

Guatemala and El Salvador have inaugurated a new direct air connection between Guatemala City and San Salvador, aiming to stimulate visitor flow and commerce between the two Central American nations. The initiative, launched by the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (Inguat) and airline TAG Airlines, seeks to provide a faster and more convenient travel option than ground transportation.

The new route will feature four weekly flights using ATR 72-500 aircraft, each with a capacity of 72 passengers. The airline anticipates transporting approximately 8,000 travelers each month and generating 65 new direct employment opportunities in airport operations and maintenance across both countries.

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This new route offers a faster and more comfortable alternative than ground transportation, facilitating that more and more people can move between the two countries.

El Salvador is a crucial market for Guatemalan tourism, having sent over 1.5 million visitors to Guatemala in 2025 for reasons ranging from vacations and family visits to cross-border commerce. Mario Maldonado, director of Tourist Product Development at Inguat, emphasized that the new route offers a significantly quicker and more comfortable alternative to land travel, thereby facilitating greater movement between the nations. Hugo Rodríguez, El Salvador's ambassador to Guatemala, highlighted the initiative's potential to strengthen economic integration for small and medium-sized hospitality and gastronomy businesses in the region.

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The initiative will strengthen the economic integration of small and medium-sized hotel and gastronomic businesses in the region.