EL SALVADOR – In El Salvador, tourists are drawn to cultural experiences, whether that’s hiking up a volcano, visiting coffee farms, or attending a cultural festival. All these activities form part of ’orange tourism‘, an approach to travel that centres on cultural and creative spaces.
The International Trade Centre (ITC) works with entrepreneurs to grow Salvadoran tourism offerings in sustainable ways that celebrate cultural heritage, safeguard natural resources, and promote inclusive economic growth.
Orange tourism focuses on cultural and creative experiences that reflect the identity of the community and local traditions. In El Salvador, this includes cooking workshops, craft and art routes, cultural festivals, heritage tours, and nature-based activities such as coffee farm visits. These experiences highlight the richness of Salvadoran culture and offer travelers meaningful, responsible, and authentic ways to interact with the communities they visit.
The Ilamatepec project, funded by the European Union, is working with about 60 businesses, including tour operators, hotels, restaurants, artisans, and coffee producers. Many of these businesses are small or emerging and require greater visibility, more powerful digital tools, and better connections with international partners.
Through the project, these tourism businesses receive support to strengthen their competitiveness and improve their access to the European market. This support is provided through:
- Tailored guidance to improve their digital presence, strengthen audiovisual storytelling, strategically prepare for international audiences, and access international platforms that help them reach European markets.
- Consulting and training services in experience design, branding, pricing, content creation, website optimization, digital marketing, and the use of online travel agencies.
- Professional audiovisual production to enhance storytelling and provide high-quality promotional material that helps with communicating their value to a global audience, particularly in Europe.
- Market research targeting European travelers and tour operators that informs them about their positioning strategies and helps them respond to current trends in demand.
- Collaboration with platforms and networks such as Booking.com, Lonely Planet, the Transformational Travel Council, and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, expanding their international visibility.
By strengthening their offer of authentic, community-based tourism experiences and supporting businesses in their entry into European markets, the Ilamatepec project contributes to sustainable livelihoods, economic inclusion, and a more diverse tourism ecosystem.
