• Big players of the national and global hotel have invested in Colombia generating an increase of approximately 11 thousand new rooms in the last seven years. The investment in hotels in the same period from USD $ 24.8 million to USD $ 1,700 million.
• Between 2004 and 2010 there has been generated an increase of 25 % of the national offer of rooms (11.600 new ones and 11.700 remodelled ones).
• Of the total offer of hotel rooms in Colombia it thinks that only 32 % corresponds to an equivalent or assimilable category to four and five stars. The recent investment has been focused on this segment.
• Despite of this increase, the hotel occupation in the principal destinations remains high, specially in the segments of high income and in hotels specialized in business travelers, resorts and ecotourism where still the offer does not replace the demand.
• The arrival of international travelers to Colombia increased from 600 thousand in 2000 to almost 1,5 millions in 2010, with an average annual growth of 10,6 %, almost four times the world average and one of the highest in the region.
• Colombia is consolidated as an important destination inside the circuit of cruises of the Carib with his three ports in Cartagena, Santa Marta and San Andrés. In 2010 the arrive of cruises it increased 30,9 %, representing the visit of 401 thousand passengers to our country.

Reasons to Invest in Tourism Infrastructure in Colombia

1. Strong performance of the Colombian economy.
2. International tourism growth in Colombia is above the global average.
3. Attractive incentives for investing in the hospitality industry.
4. Strategic location and connectivity.
5. Growing hotel supply and demand.
6. Highly trained employees dedicated to serve.
7. Colombian tourist destinations are being recognized around the world.
8. Significant growth in business and tourism events.
9. More multinational companies investing in Colombia.
10. Growing hotel industry investment.

For more information about the Reasons to Invest in Tourism Infrastructure in Colombia, click here

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Investment Opportunities

Bogotá:

Capital of the Republic of Colombia with eight million residents. The largest and most populous city in the country. Colombia's main cultural, industrial, economic and tourism center and one of the most important cities in Latin America. Bogotá is increasingly being recognized as a tourist destination whose cultural attractions are on par with the world's greatest capitals.

• Products and Segments: History and culture, shopping, golf. Religious tourism, health tourism, events and business tourism (conferences and conventions).
• Opportunities: Entertainment venues, luxury hotels, and limited-service hotels in specific areas.

Cartagena:

Beautiful and historic Caribbean city. The most well-known tourist destination in Colombia on the international level. Known as "The Heroic City" or "The Walled City," Cartagena has the longest protective walls of any city in the western hemisphere (12 km), built in the 17th and 18th centuries to defend the city from pirate attacks.

Renowned for the remarkable preservation of its historic center, the city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

With approximately 1 million residents, Cartagena is also an important urban center. It is a growing industrial hub and one of Colombia's most important ports.

• Products and Segments: Recreational tourism. Sun and sand (Barú, Rosario Islands), history and culture, cruises, events and business tourism.
• Opportunities: Cartagena currently has a shortage of resort-style hotels and limited-service hotels for the Mamonal Industrial Zone.

Santa Marta:

City perched on a beautiful Caribbean bay. An important cultural, historical, tourist destination. Proximity to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park make the city a nature tourism destination without equal. Santa Marta has a population of approximately 450,000.

• Products and Segments: Sun and sand, history and culture, nature tourism: ecotourism, adventure tourism, bird watching. Cruises.
• Opportunities: Resort and ecotourism facility construction. No international brand presence.

San Andrés and Providencia:

Archipelago in the Colombian Caribbean. Surrounded by a "sea of seven colors" of unparalleled beauty. Due to its natural features, biological wealth, and the traditions of its ancestral people, UNESCO named it the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve in 2000. The archipelago is a major tourist destination for Colombia and the Central American Caribbean region. Approximately 73,000 people live on San Andrés.

• Products and Segments: Sun and sand, diving. Events and corporate tourism, cruise arrivals.
• Opportunities: Resort construction, full-service hotels. Marina construction.

Coffe Triangle:

Central region consisting of the departments of Caldas, Quindío, and Risaralda known for producing the best coffee in the world. Approximately 1.1 million people live in the Coffee Triangle.

• Products and Segments: History and culture (coffee culture), nature tourism. Adventure tourism, bird watching, agricultural tourism, rural tourism, ecotourism. Business tourism in the departments' cities.
• Opportunities: Ecological and theme hotels. Limited- and select-service hotels in Pereira, Armenia and Manizales for business travelers. No international brand presence.

Santander:

Department notable for its impressive geographic diversity, boasting plains, mountains, canyons, rivers and caves. Destination for adventure sports. Santander's capital, Bucaramanga, is a university city recognized as an important industrial hub. Approximately 2.1 million people live in Santander.

• Products and Segments: History and culture (colonial towns), golf. Nature tourism: Ecotourism, adventure tourism, rural tourism.
• Opportunities: Ecological and theme hotels for adventure tourism. Hotels for the business segment in Bucaramanga. No international brand presence.

Medellín:

Colombia's second most populous city and second economic center. Known as the "city of eternal spring" for its pleasant climate year-round. As the capital of the department of Antioquia, it represents more than 8% of the national GDP. The city is known for being one of Colombia's cultural, industrial and academic centers. Approximately 3.7 million people live in Medellín.

• Products and Segments: History and culture, health tourism, festivals and fairs (Flower Festival), golf, shopping. Business tourism and events (conferences and conventions).
• Opportunities: Investment in the business tourism segment to development event venues.

Cali - Pacífico:

Colombia's third largest city (population: 2.8 million) and the capital of the Valle del Cauca department. It is the most important urban, cultural, economic, industrial and agricultural center of Colombia's Pacific Region.

• Products and Segments: History and culture, salsa. Events and business tourism (conferences and conventions). Nature tourism throughout the department and the Pacific region: Ecotourism, bird watching, whale watching.
• Opportunities: Limited- or select-service hotels to meet the growing demand for events held at the Valle del Pacífico Events Center.

Barranquilla:

One of the main cities in the Colombian Caribbean region with approximately 1.8 million residents. Besides being an important commercial, industrial and cultural center, Barranquilla has one of Colombia's most important and active maritime and river ports.

• Products and Segments: History and culture, fairs and festivals (Carnival of Barranquilla). Business tourism.
• Opportunities: Business hotels, limited-service hotels in industrial areas. A modern Convention Center is being built that will need lodging facilities nearby.
  
  

Region

Know the major areas that present opportunities for investment in Hotel infrastructure and Tourism:

• Bogotá - cundinamarca
• Triángulo del Café
• San Andrés
• Santa Marta
• Cartagena - Bolívar
• Cali - Valle del Cauca
• Medellín - Antioquia
• Bucaramanga - Santander

Cases of Success

• Hilton Hotels Corporation: The American chain Hilton Hotels Corporation opened its first hotel in Bogota’s financial district (73rd Street.) and offers about 240 rooms. The hotel targets business tourism, but leaves the door open for vacation tourists.
• Holiday Inn: The hotel chain IHG Holiday Inn invested US$22 million in the Hotel Ciudad Salitre. The Hotel offers 191 rooms, 8 fully-equipped meeting rooms for events and a Convention Center. It is part of the business complex called “Centro Empresarial Arrecife”, which is located between El Dorado and La Constitución avenues.
• Marriot: The American hotel chain Marriot International opened its first hotel in Bogota, located at the south side of El Dorado Avenue, about 15 minutes away from the airport. The hotel has 10 floors and offers 239 rooms.
• Hotel Ibis: The Ibis Bogota Museo is located at the International Center (Bogota’s most important business district), near the National Museum, and 15 minutes from "La Candelaria" historic district, and 45 minutes away from the Airport. At the hotel opening, Steven Saines, director of operations for Hotels Ibis Latin America, announced that a second Ibis hotel will be opening in Medellin. The construction site is ready and construction will start soon.
• Hyatt: The American hotel chain Hyatt enters the Colombian tourism industry with the construction of a hotel in Bogota, which offers about 335 five-star rooms.
• NH Hotels: The NH group arrives to Colombia with the opening of several hotels. For the time being, they are planning the construction of the NH La 93 Embajada hotel (near Parque de la 93) in Bogota and a hotel in Medellin as well.
• Sonesta: The American hotel chain Sonesta began operating the Hotel Sonesta located in Bogota. This is the third hotel of the Sonesta Chain in Colombia, in addition to the hotels in Barranquilla and Valledupar.
• Sheraton: Sheraton Cartagena is located at El Laguito neighborhood. It is a first-class, full-service hotel with 256 rooms, a wide meeting room for events, a restaurant, a lounge-bar, several lounges and a gym-spa.
• Sofitel: The Sofitel Bogotá Victoria Regia Hotel has been completely remodeled with an innovative design concept and extreme functionality. The hotel presents its renewed rooms, meeting spaces and Basilic restaurant to offer a modern environment to its guests and city visitors.
• Radisson: The hotel chain Royal opened the Hotel Radisson Royal Cali, on the same building as the Hotel Pacífico Royal. This is the first Radisson in Latin America in a non-capital city. It offers 146 rooms VIP rooms, as well as business and imperial suites.

Contact

These are only some of the reasons to invest in the Hotel Infrastructure and Tourism, we invite you to know in detail these and more reasons to do of Colombia the destination chosen for your projects.

Asesor: Mónica Sánchez