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The tour operators and Convention Bureaus of Bogota, Cali, Cartagena and Medellin showcased what they have to offer for conferences, conventions and incentive travel at the 144 meter stand put together by PROCOLOMBIA and the Tourism Promotion Fund of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.
" Our presence at IMEX was very worthwhile. The incentive houses of the most important markets for this sector in Europe visited our stand and expressed interest in making Colombia a destination for their clients," stated Maria Claudia Lacoutre, PROCOLOMBIA president.
Representatives of organizations from countries like Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland and Portugal, that create corporate event itineraries abroad, met with the national entrepreneurs to explore options for working together in the near future.
The same occurred with several incentive houses from the Americas, which represents one of the markets for which Colombia is best positioned with respect to meeting travel. In fact, travelers from this continent are those who most often visit the country to attend events.
" One of our aims for 2013 is to diversify the markets in which we promote our meeting travel. We want our cities to host conferences, conventions and incentive travel from all over the world," Lacoutre stated.
PROCOLOMBIA is dedicated to promoting Colombia as an international tourist destination. Through a strategy that includes activities such as participation in international tourism fairs, training seminars and the organization of business forums, PROCOLOMBIA is showcasing the unique experiences that foreigners can enjoy in Colombia.
The results of this fair coincide with Colombia' s three-point increase in the 2012 world ranking of events, carried out by the International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA). Colombia moved to the 29th spot out of 109, as compared to the 32nd spot held in 2011.
This rankings list, considered the most important of the meetings industry is based on the number of conventions and international conferences that take place in a country in a year. Colombia hosted 138 events, which is 25 more than in 2011 and 33 more than in 2010.
