El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, stated that the rapid revival of tourism in the country was the result of three factors: bitcoin, an overall drop in crime and, surfing.
Bukele, who is also a fervent advocate for the introduction of bitcoin (BTC) as legal currency in El Salvador, discussed the expansion of the tourism industry in the country.
According to World Tourism Organization data, El Salvador was one of 15 nations that were able to restore their tourism revenues to pre-pandemic levels.
The president's tweet stated:
"A small number of nations have been able to restore their tourism to pre-pandemic levels. And this is foreign tourism, which is primarily driven by bitcoin and surfing."
Recently, El Salvador was included to a list of nations whose tourism revenue has restored to pre-pandemic levels. According to the World Tourism Organization, El Salvador's tourism revenue increased by six percent in comparison to 2019.
This analysis is aligned with what officials have reported about the effects of bitcoin's legalization in the country since its introduction.
Morena Valdez, the country's minister of tourism, announced in February that the tourism business had increased by 30 percent since this event.
In addition, statistics indicate that El Salvador's crime and homicide rates have decreased substantially since 2020. In addition, El Salvador has some of the best waves in the world for the water sport.
Meanwhile, in April of last year, more than 9,000 people were jailed as a result of a state of emergency declared by the Bukele administration in an effort to combat gang-related crime. This action drew heavy criticism.
However, according to the president, this has contributed to the expansion of the national tourism business.
Bukele also provided a link to the Google Mobility Report, a compilation of statistics depicting the shift in the number of visits to specific locations, to bolster his points.
Visits to retail and recreation venues, grocery stores and pharmacies, and parks have all increased during the past three months, according to the research.
Additionally, the administration anticipates fresh bitcoin investments that will attract more cryptocurrency enthusiasts to the country.
Milena Mayorga, the ambassador of El Salvador to the United States, recently announced that a cryptocurrency investment platform, Bank Of The Future, would invest $6 billion in the country.
