In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Luisa Fernández Vázquez Vergara, Senior Advisor at the Bogotá Convention Bureau.
What were the objectives of those who came to present themselves at IBTM?
The main objective is to establish ourselves as the third region in Latin America in the ICCA ranking of associations that is attracting world-class events. Bogotá has become the gateway to the Latin American region through its El Dorado International Airport, which is the first in cargo and the second in movement in the entire region, moving approximately 50 million people.
In addition to that, we have approximately 2,000 companies established in Bogotá that allow not only events to be held but also those events to generate fruitful connections for the present and the future. We are becoming a hub for international events in the city with specific themes.
Next year, we are expecting a very large global event, which is the International Conference on Family Planning, organized by Johns Hopkins University together with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of the United States, and for the first time they have chosen the Latin American region to host it.
This year we had very important events such as Colombia Tech Week, which attracted 12,000 people to the city, and we have also had events with 6,000 people. That is why today we are showing the world how Bogotá has become a pioneering city and a standard-bearer for the meetings industry.
We are coming to the end of the season. What is your view on what has happened in the city regarding tourism?
It leaves us with a very positive feeling because we realize that Bogotá is increasingly better positioned, with the new mayor's policies that are fruitful. The events that are taking place in the city leave an important legacy in terms of gender equality, inclusion, sustainability, and this is totally aligned with what is being seen in the world, and with what we want to achieve in the coming years.
What is your perception of 2025?
Many changes are coming, especially in terms of technology and artificial intelligence. Hybrid and virtual events have made us want to have face-to-face meetings more, and what was becoming a challenge has actually become an opportunity to show that we want to meet again and see each other face to face.
What new things are coming to the city?
There are two very large projects that are being worked on. The first is the Science and Technology District, which will begin to be built next year, which will be a place to bring together the entire technology ecosystem. It is a very large building that the mayor's office has taken on for that linkage and the construction of relationships around innovation and entrepreneurship issues for the city. Also, there is an MRO project that is being built in the city, which is a maintenance center for airplanes, so that the strategic geographic location that Bogotá has at this moment can serve the rest of the continent.