Nicaragua Tourism Market Shifts Last Year as Land Border Arrivals Lead While Air Passenger Numbers Fall

Written By: Ananya Dey

Ananya Dey

I amAnanya Dey, a Journalism and Mass Communication postgraduate with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science (Honours). I am passionate about travel, writing, and research, with a strong interest in storytelling and content creation.

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September 6, 2026 10:00 PM

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Nicaragua Tourism Market Shifts Last Year as Land Border Arrivals Lead While Air Passenger Numbers Fall. The change was clear as more visitors entered Nicaragua by land than by air in 2025. Therefore, the country’s tourism flow moved towards regional land travel, even as overall arrivals weakened. Nicaragua Tourism Market Shifts Last Year as Land Border Arrivals Lead While Air Passenger Numbers Fall because land entries remained the largest channel, while air arrivals continued to decline from earlier highs. Meanwhile, water arrivals grew from a smaller base. The figures reveal a tourism market changing how visitors reach the country now.

Total Visitor Arrivals Peak in 2023 Before Slowing

Nicaragua recorded 932,747 visitor arrivals in 2022. The total increased sharply to 1,202,309 in 2023, representing growth of about 28.9%.

The direction changed in 2024. Arrivals declined to 1,085,539, about 9.7% below the 2023 level. The decline continued in 2025, when arrivals fell to 946,979, around 12.8% lower than in 2024.

Despite the two consecutive annual declines, the 2025 total remained around 1.5% above the 2022 level. This shows that Nicaragua retained much of the visitor volume recovered earlier in the period.

Air Arrivals Fall After Strong 2023 Growth

Air travel recorded the sharpest change.

Air arrivals increased from 487,372 in 2022 to 653,336 in 2023, a rise of about 34.1%. However, they dropped to 462,916 in 2024, representing a decline of roughly 29.1%.

In 2025, air arrivals fell again to 389,748, down approximately 15.8% year on year. Compared with 2022, air arrivals were about 20% lower in 2025.

This indicates that air transport became a smaller part of Nicaragua’s visitor arrival structure over the four-year period.

Land Travel Becomes Nicaragua’s Main Arrival Channel

Land arrivals followed a different pattern.

They increased from 441,042 in 2022 to 540,872 in 2023, then climbed further to 612,821 in 2024.

In 2025, land arrivals declined to 543,669, an annual fall of around 11.3%. Even after this reduction, land arrivals remained about 23.3% higher than in 2022.

Land transport accounted for approximately 57.4% of the 2025 total, compared with around 41.2% for air travel.

Water Arrivals Show the Fastest Percentage Growth

Water arrivals remained the smallest segment but recorded consistent growth.

They rose from 4,333 in 2022 to 8,101 in 2023, 9,802 in 2024 and 13,562 in 2025.

That means water arrivals increased by around 38.4% in 2025 alone and were more than three times their 2022 level.

Overall, Nicaragua’s official figures show a tourism market increasingly supported by land access, while air arrivals remain below earlier levels and water-based arrivals continue to expand from a much smaller base.

Nicaragua’s tourism market shifted last year because land border arrivals became the main way visitors entered the country while air passenger numbers continued to fall. In 2025, land arrivals still exceeded air arrivals, even though both declined from 2024. This shows that regional overland travel played the stronger role in Nicaragua’s visitor mix. Air travel, by contrast, remained well below its 2023 peak. Water arrivals continued to grow, but from a much smaller base. The overall picture is clear: Nicaragua’s tourism market is becoming more dependent on land access, while weaker air traffic is reshaping how visitors reach the country.