Cartagena has historically been one of the cities with the highest tourism in Latin America and an attractive destination for the American traveler, thus, the country has been constantly searching for new alliances to attract more visitors.
(Cartagena Airport moved 416,663 passengers in September).
The Airport Society of the Coast (Sacsa), administrator and operator of the Rafael Núñez Cartagena International Airport and tourism entities such as Cotelco, Corpoturismo and Procolombia, made a tour in the United States, from May 9 to 14, with the aim of creating new air opportunities between different American cities and Colombia.
“This is our first post-pandemic tour, which allowed us to meet face to face with airline managers in the United States, talk and evaluate the possibilities of connectivity with Cartagena,” said María Claudia Gedeón, Manager of Sacsa Corporate Affairs.
For the executive president of Corpoturismo, Natalia Bohórquez, this event was important to reinforce the connectivity of Cartagena with the region.
“We finished our commercial mission with airlines in the United States, where we review new future opportunities that allow us to strengthen the connectivity of the destination with this market as it is our first issuer of tourists. We make this effort in coordination with the public and private sectors”Bohorquez said.
And it is that the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) highlights that, although the sector was stagnant due to the pandemic, since the last quarter of 2021, this sector has experienced a reactivation and continuous growth and according to Sacsa it represents one of the main sources of income for several developing countries.
In the case of Cartagena, tourism represents 70% of its total economy. This is how this project for Martha Lucía Noguera, executive president of the Hotel and Tourism Association of Colombia, Cotelco, is essential to continue on the path of reactivation.
“We ended our commercial mission with airlines in the US, who welcomed us and expressed appreciation for the city’s willingness to maintain and continue the route consolidation exercise,” Noguera said.
Now, according to figures from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, in its latest report for 2021, it is stated that, during that year, more than 100 thousand American travelers chose this city as their main destination, which corresponds to 54%. of all international travelers arriving in the city.
Currently, Cartagena is connected to four main destinations in the United States, such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and New Yorkwhich have 40 weekly frequencies.
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