Colombia Braced For International Arrivals Surge

BOGOTA—The number of international tourists visiting Colombia is expected to rise by 24% during the first half of the year compared with 2023, according to the findings of a new study.

The latest research by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and ForwardKeys shows Colombia will be in third position among the Latin American countries with the highest year-on-year growth in the arrival of international tourists.

Spain (+32%), the U.S. (+27%) and Canada (+22%) are the issuing countries that represent the greatest growth among foreign markets, compared to the same period in 2023.

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“Colombia continues to demonstrate its resilience and the power of public-private collaboration in the travel and tourism sector,” WTTC Senior Vice President Virginia Messina said. “With positive figures, it demonstrates its consolidation as a leading tourist destination on a global level.”

Cities with the highest levels of reservations for international arrivals during the first half of 2024 are Medellín and Cartagena, with an increase of 57% and 34%, respectively.

Meanwhile, travel from Colombia is expected to increase 31% year-on-year in the first half of 2024. The U.S. (+40%), Spain (+26%) and Mexico (+17%) will be the main destinations for Colombian travelers.

WTTC estimates that Colombia’s travel and tourism sector has exceeded its contribution levels to the national GDP, in relation to pre-pandemic levels, with a contribution of $14.9 billion, up by 2.6% on 2019.

Overall international capacity into and out of Colombia during the first six months of 2024 will total about 13.1 million seats, marking a rise of 14.1% on the first half of 2023.

Speaking at Routes Americas 2024 here in the Colombian capital Bogotá, Gilberto Salcedo, vice president of tourism at ProColombia, highlighted some of the recent international route successes from the country, including the arrival of Emirates, Avianca’s decision to add flights to Montreal and LATAM Airline Group’s European debut from Bogotá.

“Colombia is now served by 28 airlines, connecting Colombian cities with 28 countries and 51 international cities, solidifying our position as a leading destination in terms of capacity,” Salcedo said. “These achievements are the result of collaboration between airports, local promotion agencies and the Colombian government.”