In Colombia the reactivation of international tourism has reached 81% since the beginning of the year

Credit: National Infrastructure Agency of Colombia (ANI)

Tourism is not only related to leisure and pleasure, but also to meetings and business tourism. In fact, according to the Ostelea School of Tourism Management, a quarter of all travellers worldwide do so for business purposes. This is known as MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), a dynamic segment of the travel industry that has been growing in Colombia in recent years.

According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), in 2019 Colombia ranked 29th in the world for the number of events of this type, with an annual total of 154. The cities with the highest number of events were respectively: Bogota with 53, Cartagena with 42, and Medellín with 34, generating a turnover of 74.5 million dollars.

According to ANATO, based on data from Migración Colombia, between January and May 2022, the reactivation of the arrival of foreigners for tourism, events and business, was 81%, highlighting the tourism segment with a reactivation of 87%, followed by events and business with a recovery of 44%, compared to 2019.

Thus, between January and May 2022, 1.25 million foreign visitors arrived in the country, which translates into a 76% reactivation, compared to the 1.65 million in the same period of 2019. In May alone, 260,000 foreign visitors entered the country, resulting in a 78% reactivation compared to 2019 over the same period.

“The events and business sector has allowed our country to consolidate as a global reference, has provided employment opportunities, significant economic impact and improved international competitiveness and today we see that, after the pandemic, its recovery has been slower,” explained Paula Cortés Calle, executive president of ANATO.

She added: “We must continue to bet on MICE, a segment which, thanks to its deseasonalisation, allows for development throughout the year; open the doors to a traveller with high purchasing power and greater purchasing power; generate more jobs in the different national destinations; and ensure that this type of travel extends the length of stay of travellers”.

Source: FONTUR