Cartagena could become Latin America’s hottest tourist destination for the rich and famous, according to the newspaper El Tiempo.
This year Cartagena was a big hit at the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), held every year in Cannes, France. Carmen Otero de Millan, the representative for Cartagena’s Santa Clara hotel and Coltelco claimed that Colombia’s stand at the luxury fair received over 500 proposals from various travel counselors, whom he defined as “people hired exclusively by millionaires from different countries that are very interested in the history, culture, and nature of countries that sell tourism.”
He went on to say that “Colombia has enough history, culture, and natural splendor to go around.”
Another Colombian tourism representative, Ricardo Hernandez Caballero, reported that currently there is a positive image of Cartagena and Colombia in general and that, “Nobody asked if Cartagena was safe, all they cared about was air connectivity.”
High-end tourists are interested in spas, culinary experiences, new cultures, sustainable tourism, and tourism philanthropy — all of which can be found in Cartagena. According to Otero de Millan, if the government can implement strategies to boost tourism, Cartagena’s rich history and its proximity to the tropical Rosario Islands will do the rest.