The Salvadoran Tourism Institute (ISTU) will implement a sustainability roadmap through 2030 to protect the natural resources of its park network, which by the end of September had received more than 3.5 million visitors. 95% of that attendance came from domestic tourists, according to the institution's president, Eny Aguiñada, in the AM interview on Channel 10.
The strategy will begin in the final stretch of 2026 and will cover environmental, economic, and social tourism measures. The official noted that the plan will seek to involve visitors, merchants, and communities near the recreational areas administered by the ISTU, with actions to prevent harm to and care for the ecosystems.
"We must already be taking care of our natural resources," Aguiñada stated. The ISTU president explained that several of the parks have flora and fauna biodiversity, as well as water sources that supply the pools at the aquatic centers. "In most of our aquatic parks, the pools are filled by natural springs," she detailed.
The entity's goal is to define immediate and medium-term measures to guarantee the conservation of these resources. "Within a short period of four years, we can already have immediate actions as well as anticipatory prevention actions," Aguiñada maintained, calling on users to respect the flora, fauna, and cleanliness rules at each destination.
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Various spaces on the network hold the Family Friendly certification from UN Tourism./(Press Office) The Salvadoran Tourism Institute (ISTU) will implement a sustainability roadmap through 2030 to protect the natural resources of its network of parks, which by the end of September received more than 3.5 million visitors. According to the institution's president, Eny Aguiñada, 95% of that attendance corresponded to domestic tourists, as reported in the AM interview on Channel 10. The strategy will begin in the final stretch of 2026 and will cover environmental, economic, and social tourism measures. The official noted that the plan will seek to involve visitors, merchants, and communities near the recreational spaces administered by the ISTU, with actions for the prevention and care of ecosystems. "We must already have care for our natural resources," Aguiñada stated. The ISTU president explained that several of the parks have biodiversity of flora and fauna, as well as water sources that supply the pools of the aquatic centers. "In most of our aquatic parks, the pools are filled by natural springs," she detailed. Eny Aguiñada, president of the ISTU, explained that the network of state parks received more than 3.5 million visitors by the end of September, with ninety-five percent domestic attendance./ (AM Interview) The entity's objective is to define immediate and medium-term measures to guarantee the conservation of those resources. "In a short period of four years, we can already have immediate actions and also anticipatory prevention actions," Aguiñada maintained, calling on users to respect the flora, fauna, and cleanliness rules at each destination. The initiative adds to a process of modernizing public tourism infrastructure. According to the head of the ISTU, the Salvadoran government has invested more than USD 20 million in the remodeling and comprehensive intervention of 18 public tourism spaces over the last seven years. The institution administers that network of parks and has already intervened in seven of them. Aguiñada indicated that the works are not limited to the physical improvement of the facilities. The projects also include relocation of flora, incorporation of amenities, improvements in visitor service, and conditions of accessibility and inclusion. Some parks hold the Family Friendly seal, backed by UN Tourism, which evaluates conditions for children, older adults, and people with accessibility needs. Natural springs supply most of the pools in the aquatic centers administered by the institution./ (ISTU) The official noted that the recovery of the recreational spaces also seeks to boost the economy of nearby communities. The ISTU seeks to concentrate personnel hiring in the areas adjacent to the parks, while the internal businesses are usually run by local entrepreneurs. "As the institution improves its infrastructure, more visitors arrive, and that means having to hire more staff," she stated. Among the ongoing projects, Aguiñada highlighted the second phase of the Costa del Sol Recreational Park, in the Jaltepeque estuary area. The work will include children's pools, ranchos, sports areas, and a connection to the estuary for recreational activities. The institution expects to inaugurate that sector in mid-2027. Since the opening of the first phase, in the beach area, the park receives more than 50,000 people per month, according to the president of the ISTU. Meanwhile, the Apulo Recreational Park, reopened during Easter Week, records between 55,000 and 60,000 monthly visitors. The space has pools, children's areas, a first aid station, a nursing room, businesses, and activities on Lake Ilopango. In San Miguel, the Altos de la Cueva park will close temporarily at the end of 2026 to begin a reconstruction planned for the first quarter of 2027. The second phase of the Costa del Sol recreational park will open in mid-2027 with children's pools and a connection to the Jaltepeque estuary. /(ISTU) The president of the ISTU also announced the Jocote Fair at the Cerro Verde Natural Park, scheduled for October 10 and 11. The event will bring together more than 40 entrepreneurs and will have a capacity of 5,000 people per day, in order to respect the permitted load in the natural area. "Let's take care of what is ours, let's take care of what we have," Aguiñada expressed, summarizing the institutional call to keep the recreational spaces in good condition and for tourism growth to advance alongside the protection of the parks.