Medellin, increasingly connected to the world
Medellín, recognized for its innovation and development, has strengthened its air connectivity in recent years, with significant growth in 2024, consolidating itself as a key destination both nationally and internationally
The city has two airports: José María Córdova International Airport and Olaya Herrera Airport.
The José María Córdova International Airport, located in Rionegro, is the main entry point for large international and domestic flights. This airport connects our city with cities around the world, facilitating the flow of tourists and business people visiting the region.
On the other hand, the Olaya Herrera Airport, located in the western part of the city, handles national and regional flights, mainly to areas with difficult access or those with low-capacity airports. Its strategic location allows for a fast and efficient connection with other cities in the country, promoting national tourism and local commerce.
By 2025, Medellín is expected to maintain and potentially expand its air connections, offering residents and visitors a wide range of connections that make the city even more accessible. Airport infrastructure and airline partnerships continue to be a fundamental pillar for the growth and development of tourism and the economy in the city-region, as Juliana Cardona Quirós, Executive Director of the Bureau of Medellín and Antioquia, says: “Medellín’s growth as a tourist destination is the result of joint work between the public and private sectors to strengthen air connectivity, attract international events and offer authentic experiences that highlight our culture, innovation and hospitality.”
In this way, the city shows a notable upward trend in terms of leisure tourism thanks to the fact that 77.1% of reservations to Colombia in 2025 are motivated by leisure trips, a trend that Medellín has been able to capitalize on with its varied offer of culture, nature, gastronomy and entertainment.
Similarly, the city received almost 50% of international reservations from tourists from Costa Rica, making the capital of Antioquia a key reference for this market. This is added to the fact that on average international reservations to Medellín register longer stays, which indicates a greater intention to explore the destination and a positive impact on the local economy.
“The growth of tourism in Medellín not only benefits the local economy, but also reinforces the image of the city as a safe, innovative, resilient and sustainable destination. The strategy continues to be to attract visitors who add value to the city and who stay for more than 4 days to consolidate ourselves in the region as an epicenter of major events and business,” added José Alejandro González, Secretary of Tourism and Entertainment of the District.
In addition, the latest update of the Medellín Tourism Intelligence System indicates that the city currently has 31 national and 63 international connections, which connect it with 15 countries and 48 cities. In addition, it has 94 markets connected to Medellín as a destination and 16 airlines with services to and from the city.
Among the latest routes inaugurated are: San José, Costa Rica, Curacao, Punta Cana, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Aruba, San Salvador and Guayaquil. With these air connections, Medellín is positioned as an attractive and accessible destination for travelers from all over the world in 2025.