Ana M. López
Research expert covering travel, tourism and hospitality
Travel and tourism in Colombia - statistics & facts
Colombia, located in the northern corner of South America, went from being considered one of the most dangerous places worldwide in the 1990s and early 2000s to a booming travel destination in recent years. The 50-million nation experienced an overall increase in international tourism volume between the mid-2000s and 2019, despite a significant decline in 2010. After the disruption of tourism by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the South American country hit a record of more than 4.5 million international visitors in 2022, excluding same-day travelers like cruise passengers.
Performance of international and domestic tourism
Since 2019, the gap between the international tourism expenditure and the domestic tourism expenditure has widen significantly. In 2022, foreign visitors spent more than 2.5 times the money spent by nationals traveling in their country. This situation can be partly explained by the personal economic situation of many Colombians, as shown by a survey from 2022. Overall, domestic travelers in the South American country prefer overnight trips over excursions, and this even before the global health crisis.Tourism along with sustainability
Tourism brings more than just positive consequences to an area, and people in Colombia seems to be well informed on this issue. According to a survey conducted in 2023, nine out of ten Colombian responding travelers were eager to consider more sustainable ways of traveling in the future, while nearly said to be ready to pay more for sustainable travel options.
