Barranquilla Seeing A Surge In International Visitors

In the first half of 2019, 82,549 International visitors arrived in Colombia through Colombia’s Atlantic coastal city of Barranquilla. According to Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Tourism (MinCIT), this is an increase of 9.7% over the same period in 2018.

538,260 visitors arrived in Barranquilla’s airport from other destinations in Colombia during the period, indicating an increase of 7.8% over the 499,258 registered in the first half of 2018.

Barranquilla’s Atlántico department has, according to the ministry, 237 licensed hotels with 10,055 rooms and 17,590 beds. The sector directly employs 3,146 workers. The department also has 164 travel agencies employee 1,306 people. Over 82 full-service restaurants are identified by the ministry, employing 2,743 workers.

Atlántico’s tourism offer combines cultural tourism, religious pilgrimages, urban trekking, artisan crafts, sun and beach. Principal destination municipalities are Barranquilla, Juan de Acosta, Puerto Colombia, Baranoa, Galapa, Tubará, Uslacuri and Luruaco.

MinCIT has forwarded several initiatives to promote community tourism. The artisanal and indigenous communities of Luruaco, Juan de Acosta and Galapa have received training in tourist product design, creating tourist trails and routes, business plans, and commercialization. The latest initiative closed in November of 2018 with a total investment in Atlántico of $23,313 US Dollars.