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Colombia seeks to boost tourism with half a million Mexican travelers post-earthquake
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

Colombia seeks to boost tourism with half a million Mexican travelers post-earthquake

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • Colombia aims to attract half a million Mexican tourists in 2026 to boost its economy and aid reconstruction after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on August 10.
  • ProColombia is promoting tourism, particularly meetings and events, to rebuild the nation, with Mexico being Colombia's second-largest source market for visitors.
  • The strategy includes promoting major cities and cultural destinations, alongside efforts to increase Mexican investment in Colombia across various sectors.

Colombia is setting an ambitious goal to welcome 500,000 Mexican travelers in 2026, viewing tourism as a vital engine for economic recovery and national reconstruction following a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake on August 10. Mateo Gómez González, director of ProColombia's Mexico City office, emphasized the urgent need for these visitors, stating, "The goal we have is for approximately half a million travelers from Mexico to visit Colombia, and right now we need it more than ever."

Despite the tragedy, a Colombian delegation, including 16 business representatives, attended IBTM Americas in Mexico City. They presented tourism as a key mechanism for rebuilding the economy and the country. The recent earthquake has left a grim toll: 312 dead, 4,611 injured, and 290 missing as of August 18, with nearly 300,000 people affected and tens of thousands of homes destroyed or damaged. ProColombia is actively working to maintain the appeal of popular destinations like Bogotá, Medellín, and Cartagena, while also aiming to host congresses and events in cities such as Cali, Santa Marta, and Barranquilla. The promotion of the Coffee Cultural Landscape and Tayrona Park is also part of the strategy.

The goal we have is for approximately half a million travelers from Mexico to visit Colombia, and right now we need it more than ever.

— Mateo Gómez GonzálezDirector of ProColombia's Mexico City office, emphasizing the need for tourism revenue after the earthquake.

Mexico holds significant importance for Colombia's tourism sector, being its second-largest source market. In 2025, around 413,000 Mexican tourists visited for leisure, with an additional 30,700 for business meetings. ProColombia aims to increase this number to 500,000 in 2026. Beyond tourism, Mexico is the sixth-largest investor in Colombia, with major companies like Bimbo and Cemex having a presence. The bilateral free trade agreement and the Pacific Alliance facilitate economic exchange, including tariff-free access for qualifying goods. ProColombia is simultaneously working to boost Mexican investment in Colombia, increase tourism from Mexico, and promote Colombian exports to Mexico, while also attracting capital for infrastructure, hospitality, agriculture, and technology sectors.

a mechanism

— Mateo Gómez GonzálezDescribing how tourism can function to rebuild Colombia's economy and country after the earthquake.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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