Chicago, March 17th, 2023. If a country is booming in the tourism industry across Latin America, that’s Colombia. The numbers confirm it. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, in 2022, Colombia recovered the international travelers it welcomed in 2019, reaching over 4.5 million visitors. Also, it is worth mentioning that, in January 2023, Colombia received 454,727 foreign visitors, representing an increase of 63.5% compared to January 2022 and over 18% compared to the same month of 2019.

This has not been a result out of anywhere. Colombia has intentionally developed a sustainable tourism strategy across six regions to inspire international travelers to visit and revisit multiple destinations and extend their stays. To this end, ProColombia, the promotion agency of the country, part of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, is working to strengthen regional air connectivity that will also facilitate visiting these six regions: The Greater Colombian Caribbean, the Colombian Pacific, the Western Colombian Andes, the Eastern Colombian Andes, the Colombian Massif, and the Colombian Amazon-Orinoco.

Today, Colombia connects directly with 26 countries within the Americas and Europe, through more than 1,200 weekly air frequencies and 218,000 weekly seats. The US is Colombia’s largest and most important market, representing 32.15% of the international arrivals to Colombia and 25.3% of the international capacity; seven different airlines connect the two countries through 300 weekly frequencies that reflect the long-lasting partnership between the two nations, which has been possible due to Colombia’s strategic location. As a matter of fact, Colombia closed 2022 as the 4th country most-well connected to the United States within the Americas (after Mexico, Canada and the Dominican Republic) and ranks #1 as a destination for the American travelers in all of South America.

For 2023, fourteen new air routes to Colombia have been announced, thus increasing the country's connectivity with six countries throughout the Americas: Aruba, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States.

Considering this, Colombia’s big presence at Routes Americas 2023, will allow the airlines route planning teams to meet with the main Colombian airports and destinations to explore new direct connectivity opportunities and increase the capacity of the existing ones. Colombia will also be launching its new Tourism Peace Seal, an initiative led by the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Tourism. The seal Colombia, Destinations of Peace is a tool that will help boost the local and regional economies of peace tourism territories affected by the armed conflict, which have a calling and potential for working towards the tourism industry.

This year’s event is also a fantastic opportunity for Colombia to start showing its wonders prior to hosting Routes 2024 in Bogotá, the capital city, for the first time ever.

“On behalf of El Dorado Airport in Bogotá, we are pleased to announce that next year we will host the next edition of Routes Americas. You will enjoy the event in one of the most important centers for the air services industry on the continent. Skytrax recognizes El Dorado as the best airport in South America, we have the highest passenger flow in the continent with 35.5 million travelers per year, and we are the first cargo airport in the region”, said Natalí Leal, General Manager of OPAIN.

Likewise, Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, the promotion agency of the country part of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, concluded: “There is no doubt: the world is noticing Colombia more than ever, and hosting Routes Americas 2024 is great news for our country since it benefits the evolution of our aviation and tourism industry. We invite you to join us for next year's edition in Bogotá and explore the beauty of our country. At ProColombia, we will continue working tirelessly to offer foreigners a tourism sector defined by sustainable and meaningful travel experiences that will help us achieve lasting peace in our territories".