President Juan Manuel Santos stated that a historic 23% rise in the number of air passengers in Colombia in 2010 reflects “a good phase for the economy.”
At the First Colombian Air Transport Forum in Bogota, the Colombian head of state said that the new figures, which equate to 20 million travelers, are important to the national economy, especially if one takes into account the fact that the number of visitors grew by only 5% over the last 19 years before 2010.
Santos also said that in the first trimester of 2011, the number of foreign tourists increased by 15% and that, in terms of the size of the national aviation industry, Colombia is behind only Brazil and Mexico.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Bogota is Latin America’s 6th most popular city in which to hold congresses and conventions, a fact which may contribute to the rise in travelers.
In regards to the period of economic growth the country is experiencing, the president also added that, in March, exports rose by 50% and over the last 12 months, amounted to a sum of $43.2 billion.