More than a million tourists are expected to arrive in Colombia at Easter

The Easter season is approaching, so the tourism sector expects positive indicators in the movement of passengers, accommodation, food services and hotel reservations. This is confirmed by the projections of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, and by some analysts and entrepreneurs in the sector, who anticipate important advances in the Safe Economic Reactivation of the different destinations of the country.

According to ForwardKeys' flight booking information, as of March 27, 2022, 31,800 bookings had already been made for foreign passengers visiting the country between April 10 and 16. That figure represents 97% of bookings made in 2019.

For this week, the main destinations for foreign visitors to the country will be Bogotá with 19,300 reservations, 60.6% of the national total; followed by Cartagena with 4,600, or 14.6% of the total and Medellín with 4,500, or 14.3%.

In addition, the largest number of foreign visitors expected come from the United States, 10,300; Mexico, 1,800 and Chile, 2,100, consolidating Colombia as a territory of international interest.

With regard to domestic tourism, “1.3 million people are expected to circulate, between nationals and foreigners, which means approximately 6% more visitors than in the same period in 2019,” said the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, María Ximena Lombana.

In addition, this dynamic will also be reflected in the behavior of the sector's GDP. According to estimates by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the GDP of accommodation and food services for the second quarter of 2022 will reach 11.7 trillion pesos, an increase of 46.3% compared to the same period in 2021.

Comparing the 2022 GDP figure for the second quarter in 2019, which reached 8 trillion pesos, it would be confirmed that this year it will exceed the figures that were before the pandemic by about 50%.

On the hotel occupancy rate side, by March this year it is estimated that it will be around 52.2%, 5% higher than for the same period in 2019, which will mean the highest occupancy rate for the month of March in the history of the series.

The positive performance of the tourism sector in terms of passenger mobilization, accommodation and food services is already reflected in the employment rates, since by February 2022 1.4 million people were incorporated into the sector. This represents an increase of 219 thousand people more than in February 2021, an additional 17%, which means a total of 6.8% in the country of people employed in this sector.

The most popular destinations for travelers in Easter

The positive outlook and safe economic recovery is an invitation to visit the different destinations in Colombia at Easter, among which the following can be highlighted:

Popayán (Cauca): Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Heritage Site of Humanity, its religious expressions during the major week make this city an unmissable place.

Chiquinquira (Boyacá): The city has the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary where the Virgin of Chiquinquira, considered the patron saint and queen of Colombia, is housed.

Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral (Cundinamarca): It is considered a wonder of the country due to its religious architecture underground and multiple options for activities within the Salt Park.

Buga (Valle del Cauca): Where the Basilica of the Lord of the Miracles is located, it is a place of pilgrimage for parishioners to carry their requests and pray.

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