As a matter of fact, Bogotá was recently recognized as “South America’s Leading Business Travel Destination” at the 2022 edition of the World Travel Awards. Nevertheless, it is our goal as a country to promote biodiversity and life itself through the tourism products that Colombia has to offer, hence the development of innovative experiences to complement the business experience with an immersion in local culture, gastronomy and nature. ProColombia, the agency in charge of promoting tourism in the country, has identified more than 50 experiences for incentive trips to Colombia.

According to Colombia's Migratory Services, between January and June of 2022 the entry of non-resident visitors to the country for business and professional reasons increased by 176.4%, compared to the same period of the previous year. So far in 2022 we have managed to confirm 122 events. The country is a great option to organize events and congresses, asit counts on 27 convention centers and 455 hotels with rooms designed for every need, and offers more than one hundred non-traditional venues enabled for events, including museums, gardens and theaters. Our country and our locals specialize in making our visitors feel at home away from home with warm, traditional and quality service, which makes us the most welcoming place on Earth.

Aside from being a top-notch event host, Colombia seeks to encourage our visitors to immerse themselves in the great biodiversity our country has to offer. 10% of our planet’s biodiversity can be found in Colombia, making us one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. This biodiversity is reflected across our six major tourism regions: Great Colombian Caribbean, Eastern Colombian Andes, Western Colombian Andes, The Colombian Massif, Colombian Pacific and Amazon-Orinoco. Our visitors can experience six different “countries” in one, enjoying a wide variety of beautiful landscapes such as coral reefs, mountains of coffee and flowers, sacred forests and legendary moors.

Colombia is synonym of life and with our great biodiversity comes great responsibility. We are proud to be one of the 12 countries in the world to have a Sustainable Tourism Policy that seeks to develop and strengthen the tourism industry where our biodiversity and our culture are both respected and preserved.

According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), 6 Colombian cities figure in their ranking; and Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena are in the top 10 of those with the highest number of events organized in 2019, before the pandemic. These cities offer much more than venues and convention centers, they offer a variety of experiences where business can meet leisure through sightseeing and cultural activities led by our locals. Why not mix business with pleasure?

Bogotá

Our capital graces international corporate events, meetings, and conventions with a cosmopolitan air. Whether the meeting is being held at traditional venues like Corferias or the Ágora Convention Center, or at non-traditional venues like the Luis Angel Arango Library or the ECCI El Dorado Theater, visitors can enjoy the city and get in touch with the local community through experiences like:

• Biking through Bogotá accompanied by a local guide on a tour along the streets of La Candelaria, visiting places like Plaza de Bolívar, Plaza de Toros, the Planetarium, the National Museum, amongst others. During the tour, our visitors can also admire the urban art and graffiti spread on the walls and murals of the city. This tour also provides a taste of the local gastronomy by making a stop at the Paloquemao Market Plaza where visitors can taste typical fruits. Aside from this, there’s a coffee tour and a visit to a “tejo” playing field. Visitors can immerse themselves in Colombia’s capital and all they need is a bike and a helmet!
• For a less sporty and more gastronomic taste of Bogotá, visitors can enjoy the high cuisine scene that the city offers. World-renowned chefs such as Leonor Espinosa (Best Female Chef in the World according to The 50 Best’ organization); Harry Sasson; and Álvaro Clavijo have restaurants with delightful menus inspired by Colombian ingredients.
• Bogotá is also a center for art and music, our visitors can experience firsthand the Historic Center and La Candelaria accompanied by a local artist where they will observe 20 to 40 pieces of art including murals, posters and tags. The local artist will explain the development of graffiti and its appearance in Bogotá. Visitors can learn about the social, economic and educational impact that graffiti has had through the actual artists.

Medellín

The city of eternal spring has become one of the most innovative cities in the world. Plaza Mayor, covering an area of 70,000 m² joins other venues, meeting rooms in hotels and universities to strengthen the offer of venues in the city. Visitors can also enjoy meeting sites such as the orchid farm in the botanical Gardens, which can host up to 4000 people for a cocktail party, the planetarium and Explora Park. Aside from this, Medellín is a city where beautiful flowers, urban art, a sustainable fashion industry and a transformed culture mix.

• The famous Comuna 13, once considered the most dangerous district in Medellín, is in actuality a global symbol of transformation. Visitors can venture its corners, accompanied by a local guide, and meet the artists, musicians and dancers that have contributed to the transformation process. They will tell their stories and explain the importance of redefining what the Comuna 13 means to Medellín, Colombia and the world. Medellin hosted the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Summit and along with the rest of the regions of the country is committed to sustainability and community based experiences.
• Medellín is the city of flowers and as such it offers its visitors the opportunity to learn more about the silletera culture with visits to local flower crops. The tour is accompanied by a musical and folkloric display that will allow guests to immerse themselves in our traditions full of countryside, smells and the warmth of the locals.
• The Moravia neighborhood is an example of the social and urban transformation of Medellín. A local leader will guide visitors through the greenhouses, forests, and bushes of the Moravia neighborhood. They will learn the story of how a 30-meter-high mountain could become the largest urban garden in Medellin.

Cartagena

Cartagena de Indias is revolutionizing the regional meetings industry by mixing its broad background and expertise hosting world-class events, with its unparalleled cultural offer. For example, you can hold a themed dinner party at an ancient square or even at the San Felipe de Barajas Castle, a colonial fortress, or at the Cartagena de Indias Convention Center. The city has been at the forefront of Colombia’s image transformation, positioning the country as a destination that offers experiences beyond conventional events.

• Visitors can enjoy a walk to learn about the history of the first free town in the Americas: Palenque. They will be able to learn about its customs, language, traditions and the African legacy preserved in its streets. They will be delighted with a drum show and taste the typical rum and sweets prepared by the locals.
• The Bazurto market is a gastronomic experience for visitors. The experience begins by walking through its 40-year-old corners, tasting recipes that only the locals are able to prepare. On this tour you can interact with the vendors of the square, taste the local beer, and learn how to dance champeta, a local musical rhythm.
• Colombia is "the land of a thousand rhythms" and visitors can join a tour that will take them to meet more than 50 talented local musicians and their communities. It is a musical tour through Cartagena, Mompox, San Jacinto, San Juan de Nepomuceno, San Basilio de Palenque and Islas del Rosario.

These experiences are the perfect complement for any visitor who wishes to make the most out of their business trip, to relax and immerse themselves in the warmth and diversity of Colombian culture before or after their meeting or congress.

Colombia is the most welcoming place on Earth, where business and leisure can blend entirely and offer the best possible experience for our visitors.

As a matter of fact, Bogotá was recently recognized as “South America’s Leading Business Travel Destination” at the 2022 edition of the World Travel Awards. Nevertheless, it is our goal as a country to promote biodiversity and life itself through the tourism products that Colombia has to offer, hence the development of innovative experiences to complement the business experience with an immersion in local culture, gastronomy and nature. ProColombia, the agency in charge of promoting tourism in the country, has identified more than 50 experiences for incentive trips to Colombia.

According to Colombia's Migratory Services, between January and June of 2022 the entry of non-resident visitors to the country for business and professional reasons increased by 176.4%, compared to the same period of the previous year. So far in 2022 we have managed to confirm 122 events. The country is a great option to organize events and congresses, asit counts on 27 convention centers and 455 hotels with rooms designed for every need, and offers more than one hundred non-traditional venues enabled for events, including museums, gardens and theaters. Our country and our locals specialize in making our visitors feel at home away from home with warm, traditional and quality service, which makes us the most welcoming place on Earth.

Aside from being a top-notch event host, Colombia seeks to encourage our visitors to immerse themselves in the great biodiversity our country has to offer. 10% of our planet’s biodiversity can be found in Colombia, making us one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. This biodiversity is reflected across our six major tourism regions: Great Colombian Caribbean, Eastern Colombian Andes, Western Colombian Andes, The Colombian Massif, Colombian Pacific and Amazon-Orinoco. Our visitors can experience six different “countries” in one, enjoying a wide variety of beautiful landscapes such as coral reefs, mountains of coffee and flowers, sacred forests and legendary moors.

Colombia is synonym of life and with our great biodiversity comes great responsibility. We are proud to be one of the 12 countries in the world to have a Sustainable Tourism Policy that seeks to develop and strengthen the tourism industry where our biodiversity and our culture are both respected and preserved.

According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), 6 Colombian cities figure in their ranking; and Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena are in the top 10 of those with the highest number of events organized in 2019, before the pandemic. These cities offer much more than venues and convention centers, they offer a variety of experiences where business can meet leisure through sightseeing and cultural activities led by our locals. Why not mix business with pleasure?

Bogotá

Our capital graces international corporate events, meetings, and conventions with a cosmopolitan air. Whether the meeting is being held at traditional venues like Corferias or the Ágora Convention Center, or at non-traditional venues like the Luis Angel Arango Library or the ECCI El Dorado Theater, visitors can enjoy the city and get in touch with the local community through experiences like:

• Biking through Bogotá accompanied by a local guide on a tour along the streets of La Candelaria, visiting places like Plaza de Bolívar, Plaza de Toros, the Planetarium, the National Museum, amongst others. During the tour, our visitors can also admire the urban art and graffiti spread on the walls and murals of the city. This tour also provides a taste of the local gastronomy by making a stop at the Paloquemao Market Plaza where visitors can taste typical fruits. Aside from this, there’s a coffee tour and a visit to a “tejo” playing field. Visitors can immerse themselves in Colombia’s capital and all they need is a bike and a helmet!
• For a less sporty and more gastronomic taste of Bogotá, visitors can enjoy the high cuisine scene that the city offers. World-renowned chefs such as Leonor Espinosa (Best Female Chef in the World according to The 50 Best’ organization); Harry Sasson; and Álvaro Clavijo have restaurants with delightful menus inspired by Colombian ingredients.
• Bogotá is also a center for art and music, our visitors can experience firsthand the Historic Center and La Candelaria accompanied by a local artist where they will observe 20 to 40 pieces of art including murals, posters and tags. The local artist will explain the development of graffiti and its appearance in Bogotá. Visitors can learn about the social, economic and educational impact that graffiti has had through the actual artists.

Medellín

The city of eternal spring has become one of the most innovative cities in the world. Plaza Mayor, covering an area of 70,000 m² joins other venues, meeting rooms in hotels and universities to strengthen the offer of venues in the city. Visitors can also enjoy meeting sites such as the orchid farm in the botanical Gardens, which can host up to 4000 people for a cocktail party, the planetarium and Explora Park. Aside from this, Medellín is a city where beautiful flowers, urban art, a sustainable fashion industry and a transformed culture mix.

• The famous Comuna 13, once considered the most dangerous district in Medellín, is in actuality a global symbol of transformation. Visitors can venture its corners, accompanied by a local guide, and meet the artists, musicians and dancers that have contributed to the transformation process. They will tell their stories and explain the importance of redefining what the Comuna 13 means to Medellín, Colombia and the world. Medellin hosted the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Summit and along with the rest of the regions of the country is committed to sustainability and community based experiences.
• Medellín is the city of flowers and as such it offers its visitors the opportunity to learn more about the silletera culture with visits to local flower crops. The tour is accompanied by a musical and folkloric display that will allow guests to immerse themselves in our traditions full of countryside, smells and the warmth of the locals.
• The Moravia neighborhood is an example of the social and urban transformation of Medellín. A local leader will guide visitors through the greenhouses, forests, and bushes of the Moravia neighborhood. They will learn the story of how a 30-meter-high mountain could become the largest urban garden in Medellin.

Cartagena

Cartagena de Indias is revolutionizing the regional meetings industry by mixing its broad background and expertise hosting world-class events, with its unparalleled cultural offer. For example, you can hold a themed dinner party at an ancient square or even at the San Felipe de Barajas Castle, a colonial fortress, or at the Cartagena de Indias Convention Center. The city has been at the forefront of Colombia’s image transformation, positioning the country as a destination that offers experiences beyond conventional events.

• Visitors can enjoy a walk to learn about the history of the first free town in the Americas: Palenque. They will be able to learn about its customs, language, traditions and the African legacy preserved in its streets. They will be delighted with a drum show and taste the typical rum and sweets prepared by the locals.
• The Bazurto market is a gastronomic experience for visitors. The experience begins by walking through its 40-year-old corners, tasting recipes that only the locals are able to prepare. On this tour you can interact with the vendors of the square, taste the local beer, and learn how to dance champeta, a local musical rhythm.
• Colombia is "the land of a thousand rhythms" and visitors can join a tour that will take them to meet more than 50 talented local musicians and their communities. It is a musical tour through Cartagena, Mompox, San Jacinto, San Juan de Nepomuceno, San Basilio de Palenque and Islas del Rosario.

These experiences are the perfect complement for any visitor who wishes to make the most out of their business trip, to relax and immerse themselves in the warmth and diversity of Colombian culture before or after their meeting or congress.

Colombia is the most welcoming place on Earth, where business and leisure can blend entirely and offer the best possible experience for our visitors.