The cruise season officially opened Monday October 5, with the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth, carrying 1,863 passengers to Guatemala’s Pacific coast. The season will run through May, according to the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (Inguat).
Guatemala recorded 45 cruise calls during the 2024-25 season and welcomed the same number during the current 2025-26 season. Tourism officials see the cruise market as an important source of spending and a potential gateway for future visits.
“Although they are only in the country for one day, tourists can experience Guatemala’s cultural wealth and may return at some point,” said Claudia Coronado, head of operations and commercialization at Inguat.
She estimated that cruise passengers will spend about $8 million during their visits, although most passengers have only limited time ashore.
Most cruise ships call at Puerto Quetzal, on Guatemala’s southern Pacific coast in the department of Escuintla. A smaller number arrive at Santo Tomás de Castilla on the Caribbean coast.
According to Inguat, cruise passengers are particularly interested in visiting Antigua Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as coffee and chocolate production facilities.
The largest source markets are the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany, highlighting the importance of cruise arrivals to Guatemala’s broader international tourism strategy.
Ana Luisa Mejía, deputy general manager of Empresa Portuaria Quetzal, which manages ship arrivals at the Pacific port, described each cruise call as generating significant economic benefits for the country.
She called cruise tourism a “fundamental driver” for Guatemala’s economy, as the country seeks to expand international visitor numbers and tourism revenues.
Guatemala welcomed 3.3 million international visitors in 2025, an 11% increase from the 3.03 million recorded in 2024.
Inguat expects international arrivals to reach 3.6 million in 2026, putting the country on track toward its longer-term goal of welcoming four million foreign visitors in 2027.
The cruise season therefore comes as Guatemala seeks to use short cruise visits not only to generate immediate spending, but also to showcase its cultural, culinary and heritage attractions to potential repeat visitors.
(Source: EFE)
Tags:Guatemalan Tourism Institute (Inguat) Ana Luisa Mejía, Empresa Portuaria Quetzal Guatemala cruise season
