Colombia conquers more and more travelers from Asia
Between January and May of 2019, 36,293 visitors from Asia to Colombia have been reported
The purpose of the national government to attract, increasingly, tourists from different markets, is reinforced by the positive figures against the arrival of travelers from the Asian continent, which shows the positioning of the Colombian tourist attractions in other cultures worldwide .
In this context, and according to the data revealed by Migración Colombia, 2018 recorded a record number of arrivals of these tourists, achieving a total of 80,933, that is 6% more than in 2017.
This trend has been maintained between January and May of 2019, reporting 36,293 visitors, 1% more than in the same period of the immediately previous year.
Although the increase may seem low, by detailing by country the figure of these five months is representative. China is in the first place with a total of 8,360 registrations, 11% more than in the same period of 2018; second, the Republic of Korea, with 4,519 people (5%); and the third place is occupied by India, which displaces Japan, achieving a total of 4,158 (22%).
"The Colombian tourism sector has shown interest in strengthening and training to meet the demands of these markets. From the public private work we will continue developing tools that allow all the actors of this value chain, to know better the profile of these travelers, and in this way to better adapt their offer, "said Paula Cortés Calle, executive president of ANATO.
According to ProColombia, there is a significant increase in the flow of Chinese tourists in the world: 145 million travelers in 2017, with an average growth of 12% between 2012-2017. This figure even exceeds the number of Americans, which for 2017 was 87.6 million.
Additionally, China is the country with the highest expenditure for travel abroad according to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), reaching close to 230 billion dollars at the end of 2017. It is forecast to reach 327 billion dollars in 2020.
"Travel agencies are essential in the arrival of groups from China, this being the channel most used by them to plan their trips, as announced by ProColombia. Therefore, more and more companies associated with ANATO are interested in offering products and services that adapt to their needs and tastes, and also allow them to have experiences and emotions, "said the trade union leader.
It should be noted that Colombia, since 2012, acquired the Approved Destination Status (ADS), a category that is granted to destinations that meet the conditions to receive groups of Chinese tourists. In the world, a total of 115 countries have this one.