On Sunday 5th of October, the Minister of Tourism of El Salvador, Morena Valdez, paid an institutional visit to the Andalusian Centre for Comprehensive Training in Leisure Industries in Mijas (CIOMijas). The visit forms part of the strategic agenda of El Salvador’s Ministry of Tourism in Spain, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries, and is also included in the annual work plan of CIOMijas’ National Hospitality Reference Centre.

 

Upon arrival, the Salvadoran delegation, which included the Minister of Tourism, Communications director Jessica Flores, director of International Relations Carolina Cerna, and Carlos Umaña, president of the Salvadoran Chamber of Tourism, was welcomed by the mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), alongside the councillors for Tourism, Francisco Jerez (Vox); Foreigners, Mario Bravo (PP); Beaches, Daniel Gómez Teruel (PP); and Local Police, Juan Carlos Cuevas Dawson (Vox), as well as the director of CIOMijas, Raquel Hidalgo-Barquero, and the territorial delegate for Employment, Business and Self-Employment of the Junta de Andalucía, Carmen Sánchez.

 

A reference Model

The objective of the visit was to learn about CIOMijas’ training model to implement this successful initiative in El Salvador. “We are grateful to Mijas for such a warm and professional welcome”, said the Salvadoran minister, highlighting the interest in “strengthening human resources in the tourism sector, which is booming. We were the second-fastest growing country in this area worldwide after Qatar”, added Valdez, who also shared figures, “El Salvador has seen an almost 90% increase in tourism over the past five years, and a 30% rise in Spanish tourists in 2024”. She explained that importing the CIOMijas model will mark “a turning point” in the country’s competitiveness strategy. “We want young people to take an interest in tourism as a career, as El Salvador has 3,900 companies generating around 300,000 jobs, and it is essential to train future professionals”, she stressed.

 

“We are very excited about this visit, which for us, as the private sector, represents an important strategic step in the development of tourism in our country, enabling us to benefit from the technical support and expertise of a centre like CIOMijas,” emphasised the president of the Salvadoran Chamber of Tourism, Carlos Umaña.

 

Mata, for her part, praised El Salvador’s interest in the tourism industry of Mijas and the Costa del Sol, noting that professional training is essential. “The CIOMijas model of success is exportable because it is based on excellence in training, and because we are not only a consolidated and leading tourist destination, but also an innovative one”, she explained. In this regard, the mayoress recalled that the province of Málaga has been setting annual records in tourism employment since January 2023, with 116,000 registered employees, representing 30% of the total in Andalusia. “This is due not only to the strength of the industry but also to the quality of training and the professionalism of graduates from our training centres”, the mayoress added.

 

The councillor for Tourism, Francisco Jerez, added: “Having other countries, such as El Salvador, visit CIOMijas to learn how this centre trains professionals in such an important economic sector is very significant and a source of pride”.

National Reference Centre

The Andalusian Centre for Comprehensive Training in Leisure Industries of Mijas is a benchmark in hospitality training. Established in 2006 by the Junta de Andalucía and the Mijas Town Hall, it is strategically located in the heart of the Costa del Sol. “We are delighted that the minister has chosen CIOMijas as a reference”, said Employment delegate Carmen Sánchez, who also announced plans "to launch the hotel tender at the start of next year".

 

From the outset, CIOMijas’ mission has been clear: to train and qualify tourism, hospitality, and leisure professionals with excellence. Since 2022, the centre has been designated as a National Reference Centre, focusing on sector observation and research at national and international levels, innovation, and the development of new training lines such as skewer chef and wine cellar manager. It also accredits and certifies professional hospitality skills. In fact, CIOMijas is the only National Reference Centre in Spain’s tourism sector.

 

A key feature of the centre is learning with a strong emphasis on practical classes in a real environment. Its facilities include hotel installations, 16 multipurpose management classrooms, specialist workshops in areas such as oenology and facility maintenance, kitchens, multipurpose rooms, conference spaces, and a notable main hall.

 

The main objective of CIOMijas is to ensure that students acquire the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to face the challenges of the labour market, standing out for competitiveness and specialisation. In the last academic year, the centre offered 17 courses across various disciplines to around 200 students.

“For us, it has been a pride to host this visit, which culminates the technical advisory work we started in January, helping El Salvador to create its own hospitality school”, highlighted the director of CIOMijas.

 

El Salvador: a destination to discover

The visit to Mijas is part of a programme undertaken by a delegation of Salvadoran authorities in Spain. To further establish the country as one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations globally, Spain also hosted the promotional forum 'El Salvador, a destination to discover'.

The visit concluded with a practical demonstration of the local art of the skewer at Restaurante El Torreón, followed by lunch, before the delegation returned to El Salvador with notebooks, they assured, “full of notes”. “El Salvador is leaving behind a difficult history and is establishing itself as a top tourist destination in the region. We are a land of opportunities, with the world’s best waves connected to our coffee volcanoes, come and explore it, and above all, experience the warmth and quality of our people o”, concluded the minister, who also emphasised the desire to continue strengthening “the commercial and friendship ties” between Mijas and El Salvador.

 

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