Medellín and Antioquia define their 2026 tourism roadmap: to grow better in a challenging year

In an international landscape marked by profound transformations in travel patterns, the Greater Medellín Convention & Visitors Bureau unveiled its 2026 tourism marketing strategy for Medellín and Antioquia. The plan aims to sustain the destination's growth with greater focus, segmentation, and responsibility, in a year fraught with challenges such as the Colombian elections, the FIFA World Cup in North America, and a regional environment that demands careful management of perception and trust.

The strategy is based on a central premise: destination promotion cannot stop in challenging contexts. On the contrary, it needs to be strengthened through public-private partnerships, market intelligence, and sustainable models that allow Medellín and Antioquia to continue positioning themselves in the right international markets.

More conscious tourism and a city-region approach

According to trends identified by ProColombia and analyses by international players such as Booking.com, GlobalData, Skift and the World Economic Forum, the traveler of 2026 will be more reflective, will prioritize authentic experiences, will demand certified sustainability and will increasingly opt for multi-destination trips that integrate culture, nature and wellness.

In response, Medellín and Antioquia are consolidating a city-region destination model. Medellín is positioning itself as an urban hub for events, culture, creativity, and entertainment, while Antioquia is expanding the experience with heritage towns, nature, gastronomy, coffee, and community-based tourism. This approach allows for an increase in average stay, a diversification of offerings, and a greater regional economic impact.

Clear segmentation in a year of high competition

In an electoral context and with high competition for international attention due to the World Cup, the 2026 strategy prioritizes markets and traveler profiles less sensitive to political situations and more motivated by experience, quality and trust.

The markets defined as priorities are Canada; the United States, with a focus on vacation tourism, wellness, bleisure and repeat travelers; Western Europe —Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom—, and urban Latin America, especially Mexico, Brazil and Chile.

Key international promotion actions

During 2026, the Greater Medellín Convention & Visitors Bureau will deploy an agenda that includes presence at international fairs and specialized meetings, activation of commercial agendas with operators, agencies, event organizers and media, and the development of campaigns segmented by motivations such as culture, wellness, events, slow travel and multi-destination tourism.

The strategy also strengthens public relations and international advocacy, prioritizing authentic stories and real testimonials, as well as the integrated promotion of Medellín + Antioquia experiences to encourage longer stays and higher average spending.

Technology, sustainability and specialized segments

The plan incorporates the use of tourism intelligence and digital tools to optimize decision-making, adapt to new channels of inspiration—such as social media, social commerce, and content creators—and measure impact in real time.

Furthermore, the adoption of certified sustainability, the Bureau's Legacy Program, and the promotion of strategic segments such as meetings and events tourism (MICE), cultural and creative tourism, wellness and slow travel, and sports and entertainment tourism are strengthened, which are key to reducing seasonality and sustaining occupancy throughout the year.

Shared responsibility and voluntary promotion of the destination

Within this framework, the strengthening of a voluntary fundraising model based on trust and commitment from public and private partners was announced. The scheme aims to have conscious tourists, host businesses, and the Bureau work together to transform these contributions into promotion, enhanced reputation, and sustainability for the destination.

With 21 years of experience, the Greater Medellín Convention & Visitors Bureau is projecting a model that ensures continuity, independence, and a long-term purpose. In what is expected to be a challenging year, Medellín and Antioquia are committed to a clear strategy: attracting the right traveler at the right time and consolidating tourism as an engine of development, employment, and reputation for the city and the region.