Cruises Come Back to Colombia June 09, 2008 The Latin American destination emerges as a newly safe bet for incentive travelers
By Jeanie Casison
Colombia continues to capture the attention of the major cruise lines, with many prominently featuring the diverse Latin America destination as part of their Caribbean itineraries. Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean are just a few of the companies that are finding their way to such exciting ports of call as Cartagena de Indias, Santa Marta and San Andrés.
The arrival of cruises is a positive indicator that tourism is finally returning to Colombia after years of the country battling negative perceptions around the world. Credit the impressive travel turnaround to Colombia President Álvaro Uribe's strong stance on safety and the marketing efforts of Proexport, the Bogota-based organization charged with promoting nontraditional exports, international tourism and foreign investment in the country.
Cruises, virtually absent just a few years ago, have certainly made a comeback. According to the latest Proexport figures, Colombia welcomed 131 cruises with 200,854 passengers and 92,641 crew members from August 17, 2007 through May 19, 2008—generating an economic impact of $16 million. The number of cruise passengers is expected to increase to 271,000 this next cruise season.
"There are many reasons for the increase in interest in Colombia as a cruise destination. But the primary reason is that the country is more secure," says Nubia Stella Martínez, tourism vice president for Proexport.
Martinez also says that attracting more incentive travel programs will be an important focus of Proexport in the near future. This November, Colombia will host incentive travel buyers during the Meetings and Incentive Trade Market in Cartagena de Indias.
"Colombia offers an exotic destination for incentive trips," Martínez says. "You can spend seven days in Colombia and have experiences that you wouldn't have in a lot of other countries."
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