Three regions of Colombia account for 94% of international tourism in the country
During the first half of the year, the Eastern Andes, with a 39% share, received 880,250 non-resident foreign visitors, i.e. 2% more than the same period in 2024
Inbound tourism in Colombia is making positive progress, and it is precisely this progress that motivates the celebration of World Tourism Day. This sector is gaining increasing importance and consolidating its position as an economic driver in many countries, and Colombia is not far behind in this process.
So far this year, there has been a concentration of foreign visitor arrivals in three main regions of the country: Eastern Andes (Norte de Santander, Santander, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Bogotá and Tolima); Western Andes (Antioquia - excluding Urabá, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío, Valle del Cauca and the North Valle Coffee Growing Zone); and the Greater Caribbean (La Guajira, Magdalena, Cesar, Atlántico, Bolívar, Sucre, Córdoba, Antioquia-Urabá, Chocó) (Caribbean Coast) and San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, which represent 94% of total registrations.
During the first half of the year, the Eastern Andes, with a 39% share, received 880,250 non-resident foreign visitors, i.e., 2% more than the same period in 2024. For its part, the Western Andes registered 632,118 foreign visitors, indicating a 28% share and a 10% growth, compared to the same months in 2024. Meanwhile, the Greater Caribbean, in the first half of 2025, received 627,622 foreign visitors, indicating a 28% share and a 10% increase.
In the case of the Amazon-Orinoquía region, it showed less than 1% growth in 2024, with a positive variation of 3.7%, although in 2025 it decreased by -11.8% compared to 2024. The Massif showed a drop of -9.9% in 2024, but managed to recover in 2025 with a growth of 8.3%. Other destinations represented just 0.04% in 2024, with a positive variation of 14.6%.
“In the first half of 2025, the main reason for foreign visitors to enter the country was vacation, recreation, and leisure, representing 80% of the total, confirming that the country's tourism offering is a major driver for choosing us,” explained Paula Cortés Calle, executive president of ANATO.
Other reasons included events, business, and professional reasons, with a 6.7% share; transit, with 6.1%; health and medical care, a segment with great growth potential for Colombia, with 5.7%; education and training, with 0.8%; religion and pilgrimages, with 0.6%; and others, with 0.3%.
“These results show that our country continues to position itself as a diverse, attractive, and competitive destination, with a tourism offering for the different segments and preferences of the international market. Therefore, we must continue strengthening the regions that are currently strong in attracting foreign visitors, but also expand strategies to encourage their arrival in other regions. With a strategy focused on international promotion and coordination with the sector, Colombia continues to consolidate its image as a world-class destination,” stated the union leader.
Source: Colombian Migration and MINCIT, prepared by ProColombia.