More than 25 thousand foreign tourists will visit Colombia at Easter

There are only a few days before the start of Holy Week and with this there are several travelers ad portas to pack suitcases. Although domestic tourism in the season is usually more common, particularly this year, the growth of international tourists, compared to 2021, will be substantial. This is confirmed by figures from ForwardKeys, which from ProColombia's analysis show a higher number of air bookings, which at the end of the third week of March, indicate a growth of 192.7% compared to Easter 2021.

Mostly from the United States, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica and Spain, these travelers represent 31,859 air bookings that correspond to 52.8% of the trips that will be made in the country during this season. Likewise, the data indicate that the most visited destinations will be Bogotá, which will receive 19,311 visitors (60.6 per cent of the national total); followed by Cartagena and Medellin, with 4,662 and 4,576 bookings respectively.

“The 2022 Easter season represents a clear step for international tourism in the country from revival to growth. After the most critical months of the pandemic, this year we see a clear increase in the arrival of non-resident visitors, which speaks highly of the joint work between the National Government, the private sector and the unions in promoting Colombia as a destination and in plans to reactivate the sector,” said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.

But the analysis goes a little beyond the percentages, since it indicates that most of these, being bookings of between six and eight days, are for holidays while others correspond to group trips.

Palm Sunday kicks off this season that is celebrated by bringing plants to temples to remember Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem. This year, the holiday is celebrated on April 10 and later on Holy Thursdays and Fridays, which are considered holidays, end up annexed to the rest an extended weekend that gives rise to many to visit new destinations. In this regard, there are several regions that make available to visitors not only a variety of gastronomic and cultural plans, but also the possibility of participating in these religious festivities.

In fact, a study conducted by ProColombia's Vice President for International Strategy and Innovation indicated that 20% of the companies surveyed mentioned that non-resident travelers who engage in religious tourism have in mind seeking experiences that link them to their spiritual lives.

In this sense, the destinations where the offer is concentrated start in Mompox and Popayán, places where Easter is celebrated with a centuries-old tradition. Next, located in Valle del Cauca, the Basilica of Buga houses the Lord of Miracles, a religious emblem of great popularity and devotion. Likewise, in Medellín, the Sanctuary of Santa Laura Montoya and further north of the capital, in Angostura, it is possible to witness the historical and cultural legacy of Father Marianito Euse, venerated by thousands of believers. In the department of Boyacá, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá, stands as one of the most visited religious destinations in Colombia, since there the painting of the Virgin made in 1562 has received a Catholic veneration that spreads throughout the world for decades.

But while the route can be extended, putting places such as the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquirá and the Shrine of Our Lady of Las Lajas in Nariño on the map, the offer is transferred to other places of equal spiritual importance such as the ancestral tombs of indigenous culture in San Agustín (Huila) and the marble mosque of Maicao in the Guajira, all of them unique destinations of tourist interest that are willing to reactivate with these new visits.

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