Colombia is having a moment, and the world is taking notice, with international tourist arrivals soaring to nearly 5.9 million in 2023, shattering pre-pandemic records and signaling the country's powerful emergence as a must-visit destination.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Colombia received 5,864,527 international non-resident tourists, a 17.7% increase from 2022.
- In 2022, international tourist arrivals to Colombia totaled 4,984,551, up 53.8% from 2021.
- From January to August 2024, Colombia hosted 4,256,000 foreign tourists, a 10.2% rise year-over-year.
- Colombia's domestic tourism trips reached 20.1 million in 2023.
- Domestic tourists in Colombia spent 15.2 trillion COP on accommodations in 2023.
- In 2023, 55% of domestic trips in Colombia were for leisure and recreation.
- Tourism generated USD 7.2 billion in foreign exchange for Colombia in 2023.
- Tourism sector contributed 3.4% to Colombia's GDP in 2023.
- International tourist spending in Colombia totaled USD 5.8 billion in 2023.
- Colombia had 152,000 hotel rooms available in 2023.
- National hotel occupancy rate averaged 54.2% in 2023.
- Bogotá's hotel occupancy reached 62% in 2023.
- Tayrona National Park received 650,000 visitors in 2023.
- Cartagena's historic center attracted 2.8 million tourists in 2023.
- Coffee Region (Eje Cafetero) welcomed 1.9 million visitors in 2023.
Colombia's tourism is booming with record visitor numbers and spending.
Accommodation
- Colombia had 152,000 hotel rooms available in 2023.
- National hotel occupancy rate averaged 54.2% in 2023.
- Bogotá's hotel occupancy reached 62% in 2023.
- Cartagena hotels had 68.5% occupancy in 2023.
- Medellín's accommodation occupancy was 59% in 2023.
- San Andres islands hotels averaged 75% occupancy in 2023.
- Cali hotels recorded 52% occupancy rate in 2023.
- Average daily hotel rate (ADR) in Colombia was USD 85 in 2023.
- Luxury 5-star hotels in Colombia had ADR of USD 250 in 2023.
- Budget hotels (1-2 stars) ADR was USD 40 in Colombia 2023.
- Total hotel nights sold in Colombia: 28.5 million in 2023.
- Airbnb listings in Colombia exceeded 150,000 in 2023.
- Alternative accommodations grew 15% in room count to 45,000 in 2023.
- New hotel openings: 25 properties adding 3,500 rooms in 2023.
- RevPAR (revenue per available room) national average USD 46 in 2023.
- Cartagena's RevPAR reached USD 75 in 2023.
- 42% of hotels in Colombia are 3-star or higher in 2023.
- Eco-hotels numbered 1,200 with 25,000 beds in 2023.
- Glamping sites increased to 350 locations in 2023.
- Hotel employment totaled 250,000 jobs in Colombia 2023.
- Peak occupancy month December 2023: 72% nationally.
- Low season occupancy (June) averaged 45% in 2023.
- International guests occupied 35% of hotel rooms in 2023.
- Domestic guests filled 65% of Colombia hotel rooms in 2023.
Accommodation Interpretation
Colombia's tourism sector appears to be a vibrant but underutilized hotel, where the coastal gems are the life of the party while the mainland quietly works on its inventory, all while a growing army of Airbnbs camps out in the backyard.
Attractions
- Tayrona National Park received 650,000 visitors in 2023.
- Cartagena's historic center attracted 2.8 million tourists in 2023.
- Coffee Region (Eje Cafetero) welcomed 1.9 million visitors in 2023.
- Rosario Islands visited by 450,000 tourists in 2023.
- Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) trek had 35,000 hikers in 2023.
- San Andres beaches saw 1.2 million visitors in 2023.
- Salento's Cocora Valley attracted 800,000 tourists in 2023.
- Medellín's Comuna 13 tours hosted 500,000 visitors in 2023.
- Guatape Rock (Piedra del Peñol) climbed by 750,000 people in 2023.
- Leticia (Amazon gateway) received 180,000 tourists in 2023.
- Nuqui (Pacific whale watching) had 120,000 visitors in 2023.
- Villa de Leyva colonial town visited by 600,000 in 2023.
- Chicamocha Canyon National Park: 450,000 visitors 2023.
- Baru National Park (whale watching) 300,000 tourists 2023.
- Monserrate Sanctuary in Bogota: 1.5 million pilgrims/tourists 2023.
- Gold Museum Bogota attracted 1.1 million visitors in 2023.
- Carnival of Barranquilla drew 3 million attendees in 2024 (event stat).
- Whale watching tours in Pacific: 95,000 participants 2023.
- Paragliding in Chicamocha: 25,000 flights in 2023.
- Diving in San Andres: 60,000 dives recorded 2023.
- Birdwatching tours nationwide: 150,000 participants 2023.
Attractions Interpretation
Colombia's tourism is a vibrant tapestry, proving that while three million might flock to a carnival's drumbeat, even thirty-five thousand quiet footsteps towards the Lost City weave an essential thread in the nation's story.
Domestic Tourism
- Colombia's domestic tourism trips reached 20.1 million in 2023.
- Domestic tourists in Colombia spent 15.2 trillion COP on accommodations in 2023.
- In 2023, 55% of domestic trips in Colombia were for leisure and recreation.
- Bogota region hosted 4.8 million domestic overnight stays in 2023.
- Antioquia (Medellin area) saw 3.9 million domestic tourists in 2023.
- Bolivar (Cartagena) department recorded 3.2 million domestic visitor nights in 2023.
- Valle del Cauca (Cali) had 2.1 million domestic overnight stays in 2023.
- Average domestic tourist spend per trip in Colombia was 450,000 COP in 2023.
- 42% of Colombians traveled domestically more than once in 2023.
- Family trips comprised 60% of domestic tourism in Colombia in 2023.
- Road travel accounted for 78% of domestic trips in Colombia 2023.
- Air travel for domestic tourism in Colombia rose 12% in 2023 to 8.5 million passengers.
- December 2023 domestic hotel occupancy in Colombia averaged 65%.
- Easter week 2023 saw 1.2 million domestic trips in Colombia.
- 2023 domestic tourism contributed 2.5% to Colombia's GDP.
- San Andres and Providencia islands received 450,000 domestic visitors in 2023.
- Coffee Region (Quindio, Risaralda, Caldas) hosted 1.8 million domestic tourists in 2023.
- Eje Cafetero domestic occupancy rate was 58% in 2023.
- Amazon region saw 120,000 domestic overnight stays in 2023.
- Orinoquia region domestic tourism grew 25% in 2023 to 250,000 visitors.
- Pacific Coast domestic arrivals increased 18% in 2023.
- 65% of domestic tourists in Colombia stayed in hotels in 2023.
- Alternative lodging (hostels, Airbnb) used by 22% of domestic travelers in 2023.
Domestic Tourism Interpretation
While Colombians clearly love hitting the road to visit family, they're also increasingly taking flight, proving that the nation's greatest tourism asset isn't just its stunning geography but its own citizens rediscovering home.
Economic Impact
- Tourism generated USD 7.2 billion in foreign exchange for Colombia in 2023.
- Tourism sector contributed 3.4% to Colombia's GDP in 2023.
- International tourist spending in Colombia totaled USD 5.8 billion in 2023.
- Tourism created 2.1 million direct and indirect jobs in Colombia in 2023.
- Hotel sector revenue from international guests reached USD 1.9 billion in 2023.
- Air transportation tourism revenue was USD 2.4 billion in Colombia 2023.
- Food and beverage sector from tourism generated USD 1.2 billion in 2023.
- Tourism tax collections in Colombia amounted to 450 billion COP in 2023.
- Multiplier effect of tourism spending in Colombia was 1.8 in 2023.
- Tourism investment in Colombia reached USD 1.5 billion in 2023.
- Ecotourism subsector grew 22% contributing USD 800 million in 2023.
- Cruise tourism generated USD 50 million for Colombia in 2023 with 300,000 passengers.
- Adventure tourism revenue hit USD 450 million in 2023.
- Cultural tourism spending was USD 650 million in Colombia 2023.
- Medical tourism brought in USD 120 million in 2023.
- Tourism exports grew 20% to USD 6.9 billion in 2023.
- 2023 tourism balance of payments surplus was USD 4.2 billion.
- Hotel construction investments totaled USD 900 million in 2023.
- Tourism SMEs represented 85% of sector employment in 2023.
- Regional tourism GDP contribution: Caribbean 1.2% in 2023.
- Andean region tourism GDP share was 1.5% in 2023.
- Pacific tourism economic impact USD 300 million in 2023.
- Amazon tourism revenue USD 150 million in 2023.
- Orinoquia tourism growth 30% economic value USD 100 million 2023.
Economic Impact Interpretation
While coffee might still be the official bean-counting export, tourism is now the unofficial but wildly lucrative engine that, for every dollar spent, politely asks the economy to make it $1.80 and somehow creates enough jobs to employ a city the size of Medellín.
Expenditure
- Average spend per international tourist in Colombia was USD 989 in 2023.
- Total visitor expenditure reached USD 8.4 billion including domestic in 2023.
- Accommodation spending by tourists: USD 2.8 billion in 2023.
- Food and drinks expenditure: USD 1.7 billion by tourists 2023.
- Local transport spending by visitors: USD 900 million in 2023.
- Shopping and souvenirs: USD 1.1 billion tourist spend 2023.
- Entertainment and attractions: USD 650 million in 2023.
- US tourists spent average USD 1,200 per trip in Colombia 2023.
- European tourists average spend USD 1,450 per visit 2023.
- Domestic tourist average daily spend USD 55 in 2023.
- Credit card tourism transactions: 12 trillion COP in 2023.
- 45% of tourist spending in Colombia was on services in 2023.
- 28% of expenditure on goods and shopping 2023.
- Cartagena saw USD 1.2 billion in tourist spending 2023.
- Bogota tourist expenditure USD 1.5 billion in 2023.
- Medellin received USD 900 million tourist spend 2023.
- Coffee Triangle spending USD 700 million by tourists 2023.
- 62% of tourists used digital payments in Colombia 2023.
- Luxury travel segment spend grew 25% to USD 1 billion 2023.
- Ecotourism spending per trip averaged USD 1,100 in 2023.
Expenditure Interpretation
Colombia's tourists are proving they're anything but cheap, transforming everything from Cartagena's cobblestones to Medellín's metro into a multi-billion dollar economic engine, one carefully budgeted adventure at a time.
Tourist Arrivals
- In 2023, Colombia received 5,864,527 international non-resident tourists, a 17.7% increase from 2022.
- In 2022, international tourist arrivals to Colombia totaled 4,984,551, up 53.8% from 2021.
- From January to August 2024, Colombia hosted 4,256,000 foreign tourists, a 10.2% rise year-over-year.
- In 2019 (pre-pandemic peak), Colombia saw 4,513,982 international visitors.
- Tourist arrivals from the United States to Colombia reached 1,467,000 in 2023.
- Ecuador was the top source market with 854,000 visitors to Colombia in 2023.
- Venezuelan tourists numbered 638,000 in Colombia in 2023.
- In 2023, 11.5% of international tourists to Colombia came from Europe.
- North American tourists accounted for 28.4% of Colombia's international arrivals in 2023.
- 2023 saw 1,128,000 tourists from Andean countries excluding Ecuador visiting Colombia.
- Mexico sent 193,000 tourists to Colombia in 2023.
- Spain contributed 168,000 international tourists to Colombia in 2023.
- December 2023 recorded 589,000 international tourist arrivals in Colombia.
- January 2024 saw 585,000 non-resident tourists arrive in Colombia.
- Female international tourists to Colombia made up 54% of total arrivals in 2023.
- Average age of international tourists to Colombia in 2023 was 42 years.
- 68% of 2023 international tourists to Colombia traveled for leisure purposes.
- Business travel accounted for 15% of international visits to Colombia in 2023.
- VFR (visiting friends and relatives) trips were 12% of Colombia's 2023 inbound tourism.
- Average length of stay for international tourists in Colombia was 12.5 days in 2023.
- 2023 international arrivals via air to Colombia totaled 85% of all entries.
- Land border entries by tourists reached 14% of total in 2023.
- Sea arrivals (cruises) contributed 1% of 2023 tourist entries to Colombia.
- Bogotá-El Dorado airport handled 2.8 million international tourists in 2023.
- Cartagena's Rafael Núñez airport saw 1.2 million international passengers in 2023.
- Medellín's José María Córdova airport received 650,000 foreign tourists in 2023.
- Cali welcomed 250,000 international tourists via air in 2023.
- Barranquilla's Ernesto Cortissoz airport had 180,000 international arrivals in 2023.
- Pereira's Matecaña airport recorded 90,000 foreign tourists in 2023.
- Bucaramanga's Palonegro airport saw 70,000 international visitors in 2023.
- In 2023, 72% of international tourists to Colombia used direct flights.
Tourist Arrivals Interpretation
Colombia isn't just bouncing back from the pandemic; it's throwing a record-breaking fiesta for the world, with its welcome mat now firmly out for more American sun-seekers, European adventurers, and Andean neighbors than ever before.
Sources & References
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- Reference 2PROCOLOMBIAprocolombia.coVisit source
- Reference 3GOVwww2.gov.coVisit source
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- Reference 5DANEdane.gov.coVisit source
- Reference 6AEROCIVILaerocivil.gov.coVisit source
- Reference 7WTTCwttc.orgVisit source
- Reference 8BANREPbanrep.gov.coVisit source
- Reference 9STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 10NEWSnews.airbnb.comVisit source
- Reference 11HOSPITALITY-ONhospitality-on.comVisit source
- Reference 12PARQUESNACIONALESparquesnacionales.gov.coVisit source
- Reference 13BANREPCULTURALbanrepcultural.orgVisit source
- Reference 14CARNAVALDEBARRANQUILLAcarnavaldebarranquilla.orgVisit source