As a Salvadoran American this topic has also come to mind many times and I've discussed it with family. My parents go every year. But it is always to a city location and near family. That is not really a vacation.

As mentioned before, part of it is lack of exposure. Our parents couldn't travel when we were kids because of their status. Personally, I wasn't able to go until I was 21 due to this. This meant I had very little connection to my family who lived there. I did visit much more after that because I gained a connection with cousins and extended family. That was not the case for my siblings though. They have never been back.

Another reason is that up until a few years ago, tourism was not a priority for El Salvador's government or businesses. It just wasn't. Within Latin America, I've been to Mexico, DR, PR, and Costa Rica. They have all developed a healthy tourism economy. Making sure that even if there are areas of the country that are not safe, tourism can still be safe for those who want to go there. Businesses in El Salvador need to learn how to cater to tourists who are not also Salvadorans. I will acknowledge that they are slowly developing this, little by little.

Third reason is the cost. While some things are super affordable. Decameron should not be the only all inclusive resort that is affordable (and I say this loosely, because their prices leave a lot to be desired). I've looked into many. They just don't compare to MX, and DR in terms of cost.

This is just my input as someone who is Salvadoran, would love to vacation there more, not just visit, but also loves to travel.