Central and South America Lead Regional Tourism Growth

The regional tourism landscape is experiencing a significant transformation, with Central America and South America emerging as the primary engines of passenger expansion across the American continent.

According to a comprehensive collaborative report published by Amadeus and UN Tourism, the broader continental sector registered a modest overall year-on-year passenger traffic increase of 0.8 percent between May 2025 and April 2026. However, while North America remained largely stable and the Caribbean experienced a contraction, Central and South America outperformed the regional average with impressive growth figures of 7.5 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively.

The data highlights a marked evolution in consumer behavior, characterized by a growing preference for off-the-beaten-path destinations and culturally immersive experiences over traditional mass-tourism hubs. Digital search trends reflect this shift vividly: Guatemala led the region with a staggering 34 percent increase in online interest, closely followed by Belize at 33 percent and El Salvador at 31 percent.

Industry experts note that while this surge in digital curiosity demonstrates immense potential, translating these high volumes of online searches into firm airline bookings remains an ongoing objective for local operators, with markets like Belize and Honduras registering steady yet modest reservation bumps of around 1 percent.

Intraregional travel continues to serve as the foundational bedrock sustaining long-term demand throughout Latin America. Simultaneously, the sector is benefiting from an expanding geographic footprint driven by emerging outbound markets in Asia.

Air traffic from Philippines into Central America saw a notable 10 percent increase, signaling a broader diversification of visitor demographics.