Colombia received 12.3% more foreign visitors in the first six months of 2011 than in the same period last year, said the country’s trade minister this weekend.
According to Trade Minister Sergio Diaz-Granado, national income from travel and transport rose 19.2% to $781 million.
Because of this rise in foreign visitors, hotel occupancy went up to 51.1% in June, which is “almost four percentage points more than in June 2010.”
The minister also said exports hit a record sales figure of $26.8 billion dollars for the first half of 2011, up 39.2% on last year.
Diaz-Granados attributed the rise to free trade agreements with Canada and Switzerland and the launch of the Pacific Alliance with Chile, Peru and Mexico.