Image
Four Colombian cities are included in the list of " Top 25 Destinations in South America in 2013" prepared by the tourism web portal Trip Advisor, a list that was based on recommendations from millions of internet users.
Cartagena, Bogota, Santa Marta and Cali were included, in that order, in the ranking that was published recently on the Spanish version of the popular website. It is part of a special report on " the best of 2013" that rates hotels, beaches and islands in Latin America and Spain.
" Cartagena and its colonial architecture allows you to travel back into the past in Bogota, visiting the Gold Museum evokes the legend of El Dorado search for the Lost City in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and in Cali, learn to dance salsa with world champions. These are some of the unique experiences our destinations offer to international travelers, where reality and magic come together as is only possible in Colombia," stated PROCOLOMBIA president Maria Claudia Lacouture.
PROCOLOMBIA, in charge of promoting Colombian tourism internationally, works in more than 30 countries to raise awareness of its catalog of eight tourism products (adventure, wellbeing, culture, sailing and cruise ships, nature, sun and sand, conferences) that Colombia offers to foreigners. The tag line " Colombia is Magic Realism" has used when discussing all these activities since last April, when the campaign was launched to position the nation as an ideal destination for vacationing or holding events.
Regarding Cartagena, Trip Advisor stated that it has " excellent beaches, a historical old town where you could stay forever, and beautiful colonial architecture" which has been enjoyed by thousands of people, including people on cruises arriving in the historical port year-round.
As for Colombia' s capital, it highlighted " its hundreds of authentic restaurants and bars, its fantastic wines and frequent foodie festivals" . Because of these it has earned mentions in The New York Times and The Guardian newspapers regarding the extensive local and international cuisine available.
When talking about Santa Marta, the web portal focused on the " ancient ruins covered in lush mangrove forests of Tayrona National Park, the perfect spot for a day hike" or " snorkeling along vibrant reefs" for adventure-lovers.
Finally, the capital of Valle del Cauca was set up as " the sporting epicenter of Colombia" for being named as the site for the 2013 World Games and for " its pristine golf courses and countless opportunities to practice adventure sports in local parks, mountains and desserts."
Cities receive the majority of international travelers in the country. The four destinations welcomed 340,773 foreign visitors of the more than 1.6 million that came to Colombia in 2012, according to figures from the national migration authorities in its annual report on foreign tourism.
This is not the first time that the web portal has included Colombian destinations in its rankings. In May 2011, San Andres and Santa Marta were included in the list of the world' s bests beaches to visit.
To see the full list visit Tripadvisor.
