II.

PARTNER COUNTRY PROFILES – COLOMBIA

Colombia

Tourism in the economy

During 2016, Colombia received 5.1 million foreign tourists, meeting the goal set by the
national government. The main countries of origin of inbound visitors are the United States,
Venezuela and Ecuador, with the main destinations visited (2015-2017) being Bogota,
Bolivar, and Antioquia.
Tourism has become the primary services export in Colombia and the second overall,
behind oil, generating direct and indirect jobs and income in foreign currency, and
promoting regional development and economic growth. Tourism represents 2.8% of GDP in
Colombia and created around 375 000 new jobs between 2010 and 2016. There are now
1.8 million people employed in the sector. In 2016, tourism grew by 0.3% compared to 2015
(Presidencia de la República, 2017). Between 2010 and 2016, foreign investment in hotels and
restaurants was around USD 9 billion.

Tourism governance and funding

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism supports the management of tourism in
the regions and helps to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of tourism in
Colombia. The mission of the Vice-Ministry of Tourism is to work with regions and
providers to position Colombia as a sustainable tourism destination known for its diverse
and multicultural offer. Its functions are to:
● Agree, implement and evaluate tourism policy and related plans and programmes, in
conjunction with relevant public and private sector entities, and thereby improve the
competitiveness and sustainability of tourism products and destinations and promote
domestic and inbound tourism,
● Adjudicate on complaints related to tourism services and other offences covered by
tourism legislation,
● Coordinate the National Register of Tourism and certification related to the provision of
tourism services,
● Create and ensure the implementation of the Tourism Sector Plan.
The Vice-Ministry works with other entities related to tourism. In 2013, Decree 1837
established the Superior Tourism Council as the coordinating body between state
authorities, under the direction of the Ministry. This Council brings together relevant
ministries and seeks to administer tourism programmes and projects that implement the
tourism policy formulated by the Ministry.
Under the General Tourism Law (1996), regional and local authorities are responsible
for developing tourism activities in their territories, within the context of national tourism

OECD TOURISM TRENDS AND POLICIES 2018 © OECD 2018 315

II. PARTNER COUNTRY PROFILES – COLOMBIA

policy. The Ministry coordinates tourism planning with the regional and local authorities
through Competitiveness Agreements, which identify the priorities for joint work over a
three-year period.
The Vice Ministry of Tourism through the National Tourism Fund (FONTUR) is
responsible for the collection, management and execution of resources for tourism
infrastructure, promotion and tourism competitiveness.
Funding for tourism development comes from a number of sources, including:
● Fiscal resources assigned by the Government from the General Budget to the Ministry of
Trade, Industry and Tourism for tourism infrastructure, promotion and competitiveness,
● Obligatory contributions from tourism service providers for the promotion and
competitiveness of national tourism destinations,
● Tourism taxes from international visitors entering Colombia by air. The tax rate is
currently USD 15 per visitor, with proceeds used to increase competitiveness and for
promotion,
● Resources from the management of tourism properties by the State,
● Income from the exploitation of tourism-related brands owned by the Ministry,
● Penalties imposed on tourism service providers for legal infractions.

Colombia: Organisational chart of tourism bodies

Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism

Vice-Ministry of Tourism National Tourism Fund

ProColombia (FONTUR)

Tourism Vice-presidency Property

Quality and Sustainable Sectoral Analysis and Management
Development Promotion
Directorate Directorate
Management
Marketing and Promotion
Leisure Tourism Corporate Tourism
Management Management
Management of
Competitiveness and
support to regions

Infrastructure
Management

Source: OECD, adapted from Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, 2018.

Tourism policies and programmes

The National Government has been working on many approaches to strengthen
tourism competitiveness. The priority issues for tourism in Colombia are quality,
infrastructure, human resources, education, promotion, connectivity, tourism culture,
entrepreneurship and coordination with other national entities and local authorities.
The National Development Plan 2014-18 recognises tourism as a priority sector for the
national economy and contains tourism actions to support economic goals. The National
Tourism Plan 2014-18, Tourism for Peace Building, reflects the aspirations incorporated in the
National Development Plan and sets the goal of positioning Colombia as a sustainable

316 OECD TOURISM TRENDS AND POLICIES 2018 © OECD 2018

 II. PARTNER COUNTRY PROFILES – COLOMBIA

tourist destination, renowned for its diverse and multicultural offer displayed in highly
competitive products and services that empower the regions in the pursuit of peace. The
vision is that by 2018, the tourism sector will generate 300 000 new jobs and USD 6 billion
in foreign currency.
The National Tourism Plan proposes four major strategies: competitiveness in regional
development, connectivity, promotion, and improved governance. The Plan also includes
three horizontal strands: responsible and sustainable tourism, tourism culture, and Peace
Tourism. Other cross-cutting strategies relate to standards and security, infrastructure
development and investment, human resources, financing and institutional strengthening.
Specific actions focus on:
● Strengthening world-class destinations: Cartagena, the islands of San Andrés, Providencia
and Santa Catalina, Santa Marta and the Coffee Cultural Landscape,
● Promoting high value tourism products: health and wellness, nature and adventure and
Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE),
● Promoting new post-conflict destinations.
In addition, there are promotional campaigns and the development of tourism services
for those with disabilities.
The Vice Ministry of Tourism is developing two important initiatives. The Tourist
Corridors Strategy was launched in 2016 and comprises the promotion of 12 “corridors” or
regions with similar tourism themes or offers. This strategy seeks to reduce seasonality
and increase competitiveness. These corridors are classified into 3 types depending on the
quality, connectivity and tourism plans of the destination:
● Phase One – includes less developed corridors (Los Llanos and La Orinoquia),
● Phase Two – includes those ready for domestic tourism (Golfo of Morrosquillo and Sabana,
the Pacific, Northeast, Central and South Corridors and Antioquia-Choco),
● Phase Three – includes those that are ready for international tourism (the Sea Flower
Corridor, Caribe Corridor and the PCC Corridor).
The second initiative focuses on tourism development in areas of former conflict, in
line with the National Strategy of Tourism, Peace and Coexistence. The main objectives of
the Strategy are to use tourism to rebuild the social fabric and culture of the territories,
develop value chains and improve the quality of life of host communities through
responsible and sustainable practices (Box 1.23)
Another key area of focus in Colombia is the development of quality tourism, which is
promoted through the application of technical standards and the implementation of a
sustainability standard. For this purpose, Colombia developed a virtual platform that
certifies providers in quality tourism.
Sustainability tourism also focuses on destinations. Today, eight regions – Puerto
Nariño-Amazonas, City Center of Cartagena, Parque Arví, Guadalajara de Buga, Jardín,
Ciénaga, Mompox and Villa de Leyva – have received certificates as sustainable
destinations generating good practices around the country that might be replicable in
other regions.
The policy objective is to improve quality in the provision of tourism services and to
create a culture of excellence in tourism service providers and destinations. Colombia’s
strategic vision is to be known as a distinct, competitive and sustainable destination.

OECD TOURISM TRENDS AND POLICIES 2018 © OECD 2018 317

II. PARTNER COUNTRY PROFILES – COLOMBIA

Statistical profile

Table 1. Colombia: Domestic, inbound and outbound tourism

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
TOURISM FLOWS, THOUSAND
Domestic tourism
Total domestic trips 16 104 18 924 20 103 22 238 23 179
Overnight visitors (tourists) .. .. .. .. ..
Same-day visitors (excursionists) .. .. .. .. ..
Nights in all types of accommodation .. .. .. .. ..
Hotels and similar establishments .. .. .. .. ..
Specialised establishments .. .. .. .. ..
Other collective establishments .. .. .. .. ..
Private accommodation .. .. .. .. ..
Inbound tourism
Total international arrivals 3 492 3 748 4 193 4 447 5 092
Overnight visitors (tourists) .. .. .. .. ..
Same-day visitors (excursionists) .. .. .. .. ..
Top markets
United States 329 344 377 445 499
Venezuela 230 239 273 305 352
Brazil 83 90 125 138 182
Ecuador 107 114 127 152 167
Argentina 10 121 118 126 135
Nights in all types of accommodation .. .. .. .. ..
Hotels and similar establishments .. .. .. .. ..
Specialised establishments .. .. .. .. ..
Other collective establishments .. .. .. .. ..
Private accommodation .. .. .. .. ..
Outbound tourism
Total international departures 3 169 3 605 3 911 3 862 3 795
Overnight visitors (tourists) .. .. .. .. ..
Same-day visitors (excursionists) .. .. .. .. ..
Top destinations
United States 979 1 121 1 235 1 256 1 291
Panama 347 342 416 407 409
Spain 187 190 196 221 319
Ecuador 321 320 348 320 286
Venezuela 475 607 523 372 110
TOURISM RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE, MILLION USD
Inbound tourism
Total international receipts 4 364 4 758 4 887 5 236 5 688
International travel receipts 3 460 3 611 3 825 4 245 4 694
International passenger transport receipts 903 1 148 1 062 991 994
Outbound tourism
Total international expenditure 4 362 4 485 5 175 4 825 4 738
International travel expenditure 3 626 3 941 4 683 4 322 4 209
International passenger transport expenditure 737 544 492 502 529
.. Not available
Source: OECD Tourism Statistics (Database).

1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933641697

318 OECD TOURISM TRENDS AND POLICIES 2018 © OECD 2018

 II. PARTNER COUNTRY PROFILES – COLOMBIA

Table 2. Colombia: Enterprises and employment in tourism

Number of
Number of persons employed
establishments
2015 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Total .. .. .. .. .. ..
Tourism industries 22 000 1 682 606 1 726 442 1 783 161 1 817 999 1 823 931
Accommodation services for visitors .. 93 753 93 743 101 863 113 025 112 168
Hotels and similar establishments 12 342 .. .. .. .. ..
Food and beverage serving industry 1 027 614 602 619 260 633 533 628 298 642 411
Passenger transport .. .. .. .. .. ..
Air passenger transport .. .. .. .. .. ..
Railways passenger transport .. .. .. .. .. ..
Road passenger transport 361 .. .. .. .. ..
Water passenger transport .. .. .. .. .. ..
Passenger transport supporting services .. 603 189 616 353 657 991 676 283 667 868
Transport equipment rental 162 .. .. .. .. ..
Travel agencies and other reservation services
5 861 22 924 31 249 24 094 26 296 30 325
industry
Cultural industry .. .. .. .. .. ..
Sports and recreation industry .. .. .. .. .. ..
Retail trade of country-specific tourism
.. .. .. .. .. ..
characteristic goods
Other country-specific tourism industries 2 247 348 136 365 837 365 680 374 097 371 159
Other industries .. .. .. .. .. ..
.. Not available
Source: OECD Tourism Statistics (Database).

1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933641716

Table 3. Colombia: Internal tourism consumption

Million COP

2015
Domestic tourism expenditure Inbound tourism expenditure Internal tourism consumption
Total .. .. ..
Consumption products 10 332 11 173 21 505
Tourism characteristic products 8 894 10 750 19 644
Accommodation services for visitors 1 800 2 416 4 216
Food and beverage serving services 2 709 2 975 5 684
Passenger transport services .. .. ..
Air passenger transport services 1 455 2 041 3 496
Railways passenger transport services .. .. ..
Road passenger transport services 1 245 1 272 2 517
Water passenger transport services .. .. ..
Passenger transport supporting services .. .. ..
Transport equipment rental services 29 .. 29
Travel agencies and other reservation services
116 87 203
industry
Cultural services 404 438 842
Sports and recreation services .. .. ..
Country-specific tourism characteristic goods 1 136 1 521 2 657
Country-specific tourism characteristic services .. .. ..
Other consumption products 1 438 423 1 861
Tourism connected products .. .. ..
Non-tourism related consumption products .. .. ..
Non-consumption products .. .. ..
.. Not available
Source: OECD Tourism Statistics (Database).

1 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933641735

OECD TOURISM TRENDS AND POLICIES 2018 © OECD 2018 319

 From:
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2018

Access the complete publication at:

https://doi.org/10.1787/tour-2018-en

Please cite this chapter as:

OECD (2018), “Colombia”, in OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2018, OECD Publishing, Paris.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/tour-2018-45-en

This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments
employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries.

This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the
delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

You can copy, download or print OECD content for your own use, and you can include excerpts from OECD publications,
databases and multimedia products in your own documents, presentations, blogs, websites and teaching materials, provided
that suitable acknowledgment of OECD as source and copyright owner is given. All requests for public or commercial use and
translation rights should be submitted to rights@oecd.org. Requests for permission to photocopy portions of this material for
public or commercial use shall be addressed directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) at info@copyright.com or the
Centre français d’exploitation du droit de copie (CFC) at contact@cfcopies.com.