Colombia’s capital city, Bogota, remains the most visited tourist destination in the country by a wide margin, reported the city’s District Tourism Institute (IDT).
Between January and April 2011, Bogota received a total of 271,767 travelers, increasing by 17.9% from the same period in 2010, and meaning that the city hosts 52.2% of travelers coming to the country, which received 520,807 total visitors during the period, said IDT director Nohora Isabel Vargas.
In an interview with newspaper La Republica, Vargas said that “It [Bogota] is considered in the Financial Times ranking as one of the four cities with the most important future in Latin America,” listing international events, cultural attractions and shopping opportunities as three of the principal attractions.
“In terms of shopping Bogota has something to offer for all tastes and all pockets,” said Vargas.
In March, President Juan Manuel Santos announced plans to build an International Convention Center in the capital city, which he projected will bring an additional 200,000 tourists to Bogota each year.
The second and third most popular destination cities in Colombia, Cartagena and Medellin, follow far behind Bogota, with 13.2% and 8.9% of visitors respectively, newspaper El Espectador reported.