Travel Agent’s Joe Pike sits down with Luis German Restrepo, executive director of ProColombia, Colombia’s official tourism entity. Restrepo tells agents all they need to know about Colombia’s booming cruise and luxury markets.
In fact, Restrepo tells Travel Agent that a whopping 40 percent of all cruise passengers to the country are coming back as land arrivals. Luxury specialists also have a lot to be excited about as Restrepo tells us about the soon-to-open Ritz Carlton Cartagena, which will have about 100 rooms and will be set in a converted monastery.
Restrepo also mentions the two Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts properties that will soon be opening in Bogota. Following renovations, the historic Hotel Casa Medina Bogota will re-open as Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota, and the contemporary Hotel Charleston Bogota will become the Four Seasons Hotel Bogota. Closed as of December 15, 2014, for renovations, both properties will be ready to welcome guests later this year.
We also ask Restrepo about Colombia’s latest ad campaign focusing on experiential travel. Previously, the country saw great success and positive feedback throughout the travel industry for the bold tag line, “The only risk is is wanting to stay,” which addressed the false notion that Colombia was an unsafe tourism spot.
But with more than 1.5 million tourists heading to Colombia annually, ProColombia figured people have gotten the safety message loud and clear. With the latest tagline, “Magical Realism,” a series of video promotions has been launched, depicting the joys of each tourist destination in Colombia from Cartagena to Medellin.