Tourists are deterred from coming to Colombia not by the country’s dangerous image but by the high price of international flights, according to the Tourism Ministry.
“One of the reasons why we do not have more visitors in Colombia is the issue of tariffs, not even because of the country’s image … now the opening of new hotels and air routes create more competitive rates,” Tourism Vice Minister Oscar Rueda said Friday.
Brazilian airline TAM on December 19 will open a new direct route between Bogota and Sao Paulo.
Rueda announced that it is very likely that the route will bring more tourism to Colombia.
Colombia received 36,147 Brazilian tourists between January and July 2010, an increase of 39.7% over the same period in 2009.