BOGOTA — This year’s Colombia Travel Mart, an impressive international forum bringing together Colombian suppliers and international buyers, matched nearly 450 local sales reps with 181 foreign buyers from 27 countries – including Canada.

Held in Bogota, the country’s capital, the Feb. 28 – March 1 event was organized by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism as well as ProColombia, the country’s trade and tourism promotion organization.

Canada held its own, wrapping up some US$5.6 million in business agreements at CTM. That strong showing put Canada just ahead of Ecuador (US$3.5 million) and behind Mexico (US$13.3 million), Peru (US$7.8 million) and Brazil ( US$7.2 million).

CONSOLIDATING A DESTINATION

For organizers, Colombia emerged from CTM 2024 strengthened, which confirmed its status as a world-class destination.

“ProColombia is proud of its commitment to business development,” said Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, as the event kicked off. “We have positioned Colombia as a premier international business destination, with potential business transactions exceeding US$55.2 million.”

Alvaro Balcázar, director of Fontur; Gilberto Salcedo, Vice President of Tourism at ProColombia; Paula Cortés, president of Anato; Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia; Arturo Bravo, Deputy Minister of Tourism; Adriana Mejía, general director of Artesanías de Colombia; Laura Duran, president of Acotur; and Jose Andrés Duarte, president of Cotelco

Colombia’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arturo Bravo, highlighted “the widespread participation of commercial representatives from different regions of Colombia, who want to show international buyers why Colombia is known as ‘The Land of Beauty’,” the new tourism slogan.

THE LAND OF BELLEZA

Launched last fall around the world, ‘The Land of Beauty’ slogan aims to emphasize the splendor of the Colombian territory, and its culture, its people, its gastronomy. The country’s goal? To welcome 7.5 million international visitors from by 2026.

Now a booming destination, Colombia attracts fans of beaches, colonial towns, picturesque villages and gastronomy as much as it arouses interest in business tourism, meetings and conferences, as well as outdoor travel.

Colombia’s picturesque town of Filandia

And with good reason: Colombia is one of the world’s leading countries when it comes to biodiversity, in addition to being a dream destination for ornithologists and outdoor enthusiasts, from diving to hiking.

The decades of conflicts which have often stymied Colombia’s quest for international visitors have had at least one beneficial effect: most of the country generally remains virgin and intact, even if tourism has been developing well since the signing of the peace accords in 2016.

“It’s the next Costa Rica!” says Jad Haddad, marketing director of Terres d’Aventures Canada, a tour operator specializing in hiking trips, who was present at the CTM to establish new partnerships with receptive tour operators.

SPLENDID NATURE

“Colombia lends itself very well to tourism close to communities and nature,” Haddad adds. “In fact, the richness of the country is such that it even represents a challenge: there is so much biodiversity and ecosystems here that it is difficult to promote the country as a whole and it is better to go by region. Clearly, there are several Colombias.”

He says hiking tourism has a bright future in Colombia, as does cycling tourism, with a vast network of roads, often in very good condition, as well as great cycling opportunities off road. “There is a strong cycling culture here, and many cities – Bogotá, Medellin, Cali – close dozens of kilometres of streets to car traffic on Sundays to allow people to cycle,” says Haddad.

Cycling in Los Nevados National Park

During this year’s CTM, ProColombia also announced the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, ProColombia, WWF Colombia and Airbnb. Called ‘Colombia Biodiversa’, it will give rise to a campaign that will promote local and sustainable tourism.

This initiative will encourage Colombians and foreign visitors to explore new destinations within the country, promoting responsible tourism experiences and activities that contribute to the well-being of local communities while supporting their economic development.

Beautiful views of Filanida

A COUNTRY STILL UNKNOWN

To attract more visitors, however, there’s still work to be done, to show the world there is much to see and do in this country, beyond Cartagena and the islands of San Andrés.

Samir Daoud, director of Voyage Vasco Longueuil, in Quebec, did not really know Colombia before attending the Colombia-Canada Tourist Forum in Montreal last September. And it was after meeting receptive tour operators there that he wanted to find out more by taking part in CTM 2024.

Samir Daoud, director of Voyage Vasco Longueuil in Quebec

“This is my first stay here, I wanted to discover the country to offer my clients something they have never seen,” says Daoud. After this first CTM and a familiarization tour, he is ready to do it. “Now I will be able to tell them that they can visit the country without problem, and that they will be entitled to a mix of culture, nature, beaches and good gastronomy.”

Proof of the growing popularity of the country: TripAdvisor recently recognized iconic Colombian sites like Cartagena, Bogotá and San Luis Beach in San Andrés in its ‘Best of the Best’ category of its latest Travelers’ Choice Awards.

The small town of Santa Rosa, in Risaralda

A RENEWED OFFER

Patricia Peréz, general manager of Canandes – a Canadian tour operator specializing in Colombia – said she was surprised by several aspects of the Colombian offer this year. “There were a lot of new things, a lot more new suppliers than usual,” she notes. “There were also many young entrepreneurs who offered stays and experiences that were out of the ordinary and which brought a lot of freshness to their approach.”

She knows what she is talking about: of Colombian origin (just like her partner Camilo Aguilar, owner of the tour operator), she has been offering Colombia for some 30 years. “It hasn’t always been an easy destination to sell, but it’s getting better and better, and I’m confident it will only get better,” she says.

Patricia Peréz, GM of Canandes, a Canadian tour operator specializing in Colombia

Beyond traditional tours and stays, Colombian hosts are now focusing on a more human, more personalized approach to tourism. “Some suppliers offered Cartagena and Bogota, yes, but with intimate and different experiences, like meeting the locals,” says Peréz.

For her, ecotourism is likely to be a sector in high demand in the coming years, and cities like Medellin should become more and more talked about, particularly for gastronomy. “I took part in a familiarization trip to this city, after the CTM, and I was surprised by the quality of the dishes we were served: we were far from the trio of red beans, rice and plantain!”

GREAT POTENTIAL FOR LUXURY

For Toronto-based luxury tourism specialist Jason Swaye, with Direct Travel, this segment also has a bright future ahead of it in Colombia. “I’ve been coming to CTM since 2015, and this is my first participation since the pandemic,” he says. “In Colombia, the potential for luxury tourism is enormous!”

“More and more travellers are coming to rent a villa or stay in large hotels,” Swayne continues, “like at one of the two Four Seasons or at the Sofitel in Bogota, or even at one of the Preferred Hotels of the World. The sites are splendid, there are numerous spas and several lovely islands – like those of Rosario – as well as pretty villages like Jardin, not to mention that the gastronomy is amazing!”

La Beautiful Cocina Inusual, Manizales

That said, we also come across more and more independent travellers on the roads and sites of Colombia, as much attracted by what there is to see and do as by the affordable cost of living, both for everyday expenses as well as tourism services.

“At the end of my five weeks of travel in Colombia, I will have spent around $3,500, including the plane,” says Jean-François, a Quebecer I met on a trail in the Cocora Valley.

Cocora Valley

FAM TRIPS ABOUND

Before and after CTM 2024, 17 familiarization trips organized by 16 Colombian companies showcased the best Colombia had to offer.

Profession Voyages/Travelweek took the opportunity to explore part of the Coffee Triangle region, recognized by UNESCO as the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. Watch for coverage from this fam in an upcoming edition of Travelweek Daily.

In every city and village, the central square serves as a theatre for the daily lives of Colombians

For more information see colombia.travel and procolombia.co.