 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Tourism in Guatemala" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
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 thePetén,Quiriguá inIzabal,Iximche in TecpanChimaltenango, and in theCity of Guatemala). Destinations visited for their natural environment includeLake Atitlán andSemuc Champey. Historical tourism destinations include the colonial city ofAntigua Guatemala, which is recognized by UNESCO Cultural 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.[citation needed]
There is a strong interest of the international community for archaeological sites like the city ofTikal, 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 ofTikal 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 theBasilica of Esquipulas inEsquipulas, as well as the beaches on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Guatemala. Other tourist destinations arenational parks and otherprotected areas such as theMaya Biosphere Reserve.
.JPG)
Regarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Guatemala has several protected declarations by the State, among which include theHuelga 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 theCofradía de San Marcos Evangelista, under Ministerial Agreement 532-2010.
 |
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 | |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)