Colombia continues to become an attractive destination for foreign tourists. Despite some security conditions in several areas of the country, and even in the capital city itself, Bogota, people from other parts of the world travel to the South American nation for its undeniable beauty, its cultural richness, and the warmth and kindness of its inhabitants.
During the first quarter of the year, more than 368 thousand international airline tickets to Colombia were sold, representing an increase of 16.7%, according to the Colombian Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (ANATO), which highlighted that San Andres and Barranquilla reported significant growth at the start of 2026.
From the United States, Brazil and Mexico, the largest number of tourists to Colombia
“The international positioning of Colombia is mainly driven by strategic markets. The United States leads with 34.5% participation, followed by Brazil and Mexico (each representing 8.4%), and together these three concentrate more than half of the demand,” explained Paula Cortes Calle, executive president of ANATO, quoted in a statement from the Association.
Regarding the national destinations with the most tickets sold, Bogota, Cartagena and Medellin continue to account for nearly 75% combined, while San Andres and Barranquilla registered important growth; San Andres, with a variation above 30%, and Barranquilla with 14%, which once again shows the preference for sun and beach destinations, complementing the country’s urban and cultural offer, ANATO adds.
The international positioning of Colombia is mainly driven by strategic markets such as the United States, Brazil and Mexico, although Chile shows an important increase, representing 7.3% for this quarter, while in the first quarter of 2025 this share was 4.7%, indicating an increase of 2.6 percentage points.
Cities such as New York, Miami and Santiago de Chile stand out as the main points of origin of tourists coming to Colombia, evidencing a solid connectivity network and diversified demand that responds both to leisure tourism and business travel.
ANATO also highlights that demand toward competing destinations of Colombia also increased, although at a slower pace, such as Mexico, which grew 15.6%. Peru, on the other hand, decreased by -18% in ticket sales. This performance confirms that Colombia is not only participating in global tourism growth, but is gaining ground more rapidly.
Holy Week, a sample of tourist inflow to Colombia
A clear example of the attractiveness that Colombia exerts among international tourists was last Holy Week. According to the Joint Strategic Center for Migration Analysis (CECAM) of Migracion Colombia, the country registered 714,412 migration movements between March 27 and April 6, 2026, representing a growth of 8% compared to 2025.
The behavior of this season reflects the dynamism of international tourism and the consolidation of Colombia as one of the most attractive destinations in South America. Between 2023 and 2026, the country went from 544,129 to 714,412 migration movements during Holy Week, representing a cumulative growth of 31%, showing a sustained trend in the arrival and departure of travelers.
The analysis by control points shows a high concentration in the country’s main airports. El Dorado International Airport in Bogota led mobility with around 408,000 flows, equivalent to 57% of the total and an increase of 4.9% compared to 2025.
In Medellin, Jose Maria Cordova Airport registered more than 140,000 flows, with a growth of 10.8%, consolidating itself as the second highest international traffic point. In Cartagena, Rafael Nunez International Airport reached around 59,400 movements, with an increase of 8.2%, driven by international and cruise tourism. And Alfonso Bonilla Aragon Airport in Cali reported around 36,000 movements and a growth of 25.6%, one of the most outstanding performances in the country during the season.
All of this proves that Colombia maintains a growing trend in international mobility and reinforces the impact of the national tourism strategy in sectors such as air transport, commerce and services associated with tourism.