Bogota is a young, modern, cosmopolitan, dynamic and stimulating city that offers locals and visitors endless possibilities for amusement and business 24/7 all year long in order to satisfy personal and business needs, going from simple the ones to the most exclusive and complex requirements.

 

This city is full of character and every corner has got a surprise. Bogota is historic and contemporary both at the same time. The city stands out for its people, always ready to receive visitors and set the best hospitality for them. 

 

Bogota is an environmental friendly city. With over 70 museums, 90 art galleries, 45 theaters, 29 patrimonial temples, 132 national monuments and 5.256 parks, the city has a diverse and inclusive tourist offer.

 

Gastronomic offer in Bogota is highly qualified and recognized worldwide. There are six gastronomic areas where international and local food can be found as well as a highly developed nightlife. 

 

Bogota is a charming city with more than 50 malls, the biggest ones in Colombia, wellknown brands outlets, 16 “safe party zones” and 344 km of ‘cicloruta’. All these attributes make the city an attractive place for residents and visitors.

 

Tourism also has a big impact on cultural issues which are reflected on: the valorization of the cultural patrimony; the recovery of the cultural identity; the growth of cultural industries and acquiring a more comprehensive and global cultural vision through a cultural exchange. 

 

When we talk of tourism we are talking about positive known aspects of the city because it is focused in exploring attributes. Tourism has an enormous impact in the image of a place; therefore cities such as London, New York, Barcelona, Mexico City and Buenos Aires, among others, have chosen it as a main axe of their city marketing strategies. 

 

Tourism is the third currency source in Colombia after oil and coal, with exportations of US $2.600 million and the firs of non-traditional exportations.  Tourist number has doubled up un the last 8 years.

• Bogota has been recognized by Lonely Planet as the green urban destination with the biggest diversity per square meter in the world and by Fortune as a “shopping paradise”.

• Bogota attracts local and international tourist by being one of the biggest Latin American metropolis, the country’s gate and an important cultural, financial and business hub.

 

• Bogota has the best health and educational offer in the region, as well as a sophisticated offer of world-quality brands and different cultural attributes which make it a benchmark in Latin America.

 

• El Dorado International Airport is a main cargo hub in the region and third in passanger transportation which makes its location strategically important. 

 

• In 2010 International Congress and Convention Association, ICCA, placed Bogota as the first city for venues and congresses in Colombia, sixth in Latin America and 47 in the world competing against 340 cities. 

• 51, 2% of the tourists who arrive to Colombia come to Bogota, 13 % to Cartagena and 9 % to Medellin.

• Over 755.000 visitors arrived to Bogota in 2010, 9% more than 2009. While the number of international visitors increased 15% in the world, Colombia had a raise of 77% and Bogota 88% in the last five years.

• Most of the international visitors that had arrived till may of 2011 came mostly from: USA 18,5% and Venezuela 12,6%.

• Bogota has 158.250 yards for golf and has 144.9 km of golf surfaces which make up to 25 different courts.

• Tourists feel attracted by ecotourism, especially bird sightseeing and the way these activities can be held.

 

Its impact on investment and employment:

The major bets for tourism in Bogota have been made by the private sector who are investing in this area and have improved the city’s offer in this field.

 

For the last three years the city has been working on setting up 20 projects that will create over 10,000 direct Jobs.  Once these projects start operating, they will set up the city with over 17,000 rooms, most of them in luxury accommodations. This investment shows the importance of tourism in Bogota and the constant increase in the demand

 

For the next five years the city is focusing on two main challenges:

 

• Duplicate the amount of international visitors.

• By 2015 being ranked in the top 5 of Latin American cities according to ICCA. 

 

The impact n the city’s image and is positioning:

 

During 2011 Colombia hosted the FIFA Under-20 World Cup and the District’s Tourism Institute (IDT in Spanish) with the help of different business institutions set up the project of ‘Bogota Anfitriona’ (Bogota Host City) to place the city both locally and internationally.

 

According to the District’s Tourism Institute (IDT in Spanish) free press related to tourism in Bogota exceeded US $3,5 million in the last year and a half.

 

All the actions the city has taken have brought a proper environment to make the city visible for the media as a tourist destination. Massive media such as New York Times, USA Today, BBC and Fortune, among others, have remarked Bogota’s tourist values.