Medellín closes 2024 with 36 confirmed national and international events, a significant step towards the ambitious goal of attracting 300 events by 2027 and 100 by 2025, according to the 2024-2027 Development Plan. This achievement highlights the city's commitment to consolidate itself as a benchmark in meeting tourism (MICE) and project its image on the global stage.
These events have energized key sectors such as hotels, gastronomy and tourism services, strengthening the local economy and positioning Medellín as a world-class destination.
Events such as Startco 2025, Jumpingland 2025, the Ibero-American Nutrition Foundation Conference, the VI Latin American Symposium on Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine and the XXXIV Pan-American Congress of Hotel, Gastronomy and Tourism Schools will bring the city approximately 83 billion pesos and attract 67,000 attendees.
“These achievements reflect Medellín’s ability to compete with the best destinations in the world. Our commitment is that tourism transforms lives, not just economies. Medellín is not just a destination, it is a city that flourishes with every event, with every tourist, and with every collective effort. In 2024 we demonstrated that, with trust and joint work, we can make Medellín and Antioquia continue to flourish. In 2025, we are going to redouble our efforts so that our events are known throughout the world and continue to attract high-value tourists who contribute to the economy and development of our city and region,” said Juliana Cardona Quirós, executive director of the Bureau of Medellín and Antioquia.
The closing of 2024 for the Greater Medellín Convention & Visitors Bureau is marked by a significant achievement: the recovery of the trust of key players in the tourism and cultural ecosystem in the city-region. This challenge, which marked the agenda for the year, was achieved thanks to the joint work with the Mayor's Office of Medellín and the private sector, consolidating the Bureau as a benchmark in the marketing of city fairs and events.
The Bureau of Medellín and Antioquia: an ally that promotes tourism, major events and the economic development of the city and the region
In 2024, the Medellín and Antioquia Bureau led the recovery of its position as a competitive destination for the meetings industry (MICE), vacation tourism, leisure and entertainment in Latin America.
In this regard, Medellín received more than 1.4 million international tourists and is projected to exceed 1.7 million by the end of the year, consolidating tourism as a key driver of economic development. (Source: SIT information as of the end of November 2024).
Additionally, the Bureau of Medellín and Antioquia generated a social impact thanks to the more than 100 business opportunities that were created for entrepreneurs and local actors, integrating them into the tourism value chain.
A public-private project that transforms Medellín and Antioquia
The key to the Bureau's success lies in its coordination with the municipal government and the private sector, within the framework of the Medellín Te Quiere Development Plan of the Federico Gutiérrez administration; in addition to the work with local organizations, corporations and foundations that were integrated into promotional activities and international events, generating economic opportunities and visibility for the social fabric of the region.
Cardona Quirós stressed that “The meetings and events industry is a fundamental driver for the development of our city. However, the positioning of Medellín cannot be the task of just a few. We need all venues, OPCs, cultural and entertainment actors to know what the Bureau does and join the purpose of strengthening our competitiveness.”
Tourism with purpose: a positive legacy for Medellín and Antioquia
The Bureau works beyond just attracting events. Its focus on purposeful tourism ensures that every encounter and visitor leaves tangible benefits for the city.
With 30 partners from the tertiary sector, such as social entities, NGOs, foundations, dance academies, among others, the Bureau of Medellín and Antioquia connects the organizers and attendees of the events captured with activities that promote responsible and sustainable tourism. An example of this was how, within the framework of the World Data Forum, the dancers of the Balcón de los Artistas revealed their incredible talent by promoting culture with their show called “Vívelo Medellín,” which evoked the rhythms danced in the capital of Antioquia.
El Balcón de los Artistas is an artistic corporation that has been focused on the human being for more than two decades. Its purpose, more than training artists through the transformative power of dance, is for dancers to learn in a fun way to be better people.
They have performed on important stages around the country and the world, they have obtained first places in the World Tango Championship, and they were also part of the cast of the production Q' Viva Chosen with Mark Anthony and Jennifer Lopez.
The call is clear: trust the Bureau as a strategic ally to make Medellín and Antioquia competitive destinations at a global level. The articulation between the public and private sectors will continue to be the axis of this management, so that in 2025 and the years to come, the region will continue to shine as a benchmark in tourism and culture.
Source: Medellin Bureau.