Tourism in Guatemala

Tourism became one of the main drivers of Guatemala's economy, an industry that reported more than $1.8 billion in 2008. Guatemala receives about two million tourists annually.

In recent years, it has led to the visit of many cruise ships that touch important seaports in Guatemala, leading to more tourists visiting the country.

In its territory, there are Mayan archaeological sites (Tikal in the Petén, Quiriguá in Izabal, Iximche in Tecpan Chimaltenango, and in the City of Guatemala). Destinations visited for their natural environment include Lake Atitlán and Semuc Champey. Historical tourism destinations include the colonial city of Antigua Guatemala, which is recognized by UNESCO Cultural Heritage.

Heritage

Tourism in Guatemala has grown gradually; it is an attractive destination because of the abundant and varied natural environment and its long beaches of white sand and dark sand, coral reefs, flora and fauna, and archaeological sites, its colonial history, plus its culture expressed in their customs and traditional foods.

There is a strong interest of the international community for archaeological sites like the city of Tikal, which was built and occupied in a period where the Mayan culture had its most literal and artistic expression, and was ruled by a dynasty of 16 kings. The Mayas of Tikal built many temples, a ball park, altars and steles in high and low relief.

Guatemala is very popular for its archaeological sites, pre-Hispanic cities, and religious centers like the Basilica of Esquipulas in Esquipulas, as well as the beaches on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Guatemala. Other tourist destinations are national parks and other protected areas such as the Maya Biosphere Reserve.

Regarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Guatemala has several protected declarations by the State, among which include the Huelga de Dolores from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, according to Ministerial Agreement 275-2010, the Treat of December 8 of municipality of Chichicastenango, according 347-2010 Agreement and the Cofradía de San Marcos Evangelista, under Ministerial Agreement 532-2010.

Monuments

Statistics

Tourist arrivals of 2024 in %[1]

The following table shows the number of international visitors to Guatemala by country.

Rank Country[2][3] 2018 2025
1 El Salvador 1,060,962 1,539,421
2 United States 535,098 670,103
3 Honduras 133,356 264,590
4 Costa Rica
Nicaragua
Panama		 135,521 191,721
5 Europe 173,045 185,161
6 South America 88,047 132,932
7 Mexico 104,710 118,652
8 Belize 58,369 87,549
9 Canada 55,485 41,447
10 Other 182,042 130,268
Total 2,405,902 3,361,843

See also

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Guatemala.

References

  1. ^ "UN Tourism Data Dashboard". www.unwto.org. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  2. ^ "Guatemala: Country-specific: Arrivals of non-resident visitors at national borders, by country of residence 2014 - 2018".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "BOLETÍN ESTADÍSTICAS DE TURISMO DICIEMBRE 2025". Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo.
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