Colombia Tourism on the Rise

Stable and secure safety conditions in Colombia are drawing everything from Cruise Lines to Package tours.

Few people realize the tourist potential of Colombia. They are too concerned with the bad taste in their mouth left by the 1980's and 90's. I spent a month there a few years ago and could have spent another six and not seen everything. There are beautiful colonial cities, ancient ruins, trekking, the best birdwatching on the planet, excellent musuems like the Gold Museum, a cathedral made of Salt, an extensive Amazon region, and posh large cities. Finally the world is catching on and taking notice.

Foreign tourist visits are up from a half-million four years ago to 1.2 million now. Kidnappings have dropped by half and never really had something to do with tourists anyway. The US state departments warning, which has flat out stated not to go to Colombia, now says that "although rural areas remain "extremely dangerous," violence has decreased "markedly" in urban areas, including Bogotá and Cartagena."

Major cruise ships are docking in Cartagena, Santa Marta, and San Andrés Island. During the 2006-07 season (September to May) saw 50 port calls, while 2008 expects more than 200 with Royal Caribbean who had left for the past five years to This season, cruise lines will make 200 stops. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, which returned to Cartagena in April after a five-year hiatus, will make 43 calls in the next year among its three brands. Princess and Holland America lines also are stopping.

USA Today is reporting that Bogotá will add 7,000 three- to five-star hotel rooms in the next three years, anew luxury ecotourism venture in Tayrona National Park is drawing high end tourists, coffee tourism south of Bogota is booming.