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October 31, 2024

The recent 2023-2024 cruise season in Colombia, which concluded in June, has produced significant results, according to Gilberto Salcedo, Vice President of Tourism at ProColombia.

Data from the 2022-2023 season compared to 2023-2024 shows that there were 226 port calls, reflecting a 3.2% increase. Among the most active destinations is Cartagena, which welcomed 97% of total passenger arrivals on cruise ships, followed by Santa Marta with 3,852 passengers and 14 calls, and San Andrés with 3,568 passengers and 8 calls. Additionally, the last season marked important progress in less conventional destinations such as Bahía Solano, Urabá, and El Darién (which saw a 143% increase in cruise passenger arrivals), as well as Gorgona, Leticia, and Buenaventura. These cities welcomed cruise companies like the National Geographic Society, Group Holdings Limited, and Hurtigruten AS.

According to a study by the international economic consulting firm BREA, the economic impact of the 2023-2024 season could approach $50 million. Notably, operations for embarkation were reactivated with Royal Caribbean in Cartagena. After Pullmantur exited the market due to pandemic-related reasons, Royal took on this role to restart operations.

Cartagena received 97% of cruise passengers, with 327,434 passengers and 188 calls. Santa Marta has established itself as the country’s emerging secondary port, with over 3,800 cruise passengers and 14 calls. For the first time, a cruise ship made an overnight stop in the capital of Magdalena: the ship Explora I from Explora Journeys docked on February 19, 2024, after traveling from Aruba, carrying 464 cruise passengers and 629 crew members. San Andrés is the third port for cruise arrivals, receiving over 3,500 cruise passengers and 8 calls last season. Other ports like Bahía Solano, Urabá, Darién, Gorgona, Leticia, La Guajira, and Buenaventura have begun attracting more cruise ships.

A significant milestone was the arrival of the first cruise ship in Buenaventura: in November 2023, the city welcomed its first cruise ship with approximately 400 international passengers on board, the MS Hamburg from the German company Plantours Cruises, one of the leading river cruise operators in Europe.

Additionally, in January 2024, a cruise ship docked for the first time in La Guajira, in the Cabo de la Vela area, with around 40 passengers. The company responsible for this operation was Emerald Cruises, based in Switzerland, which brought the luxurious Emerald Azzurra, built in 2022 and featuring 50 cabins. For the 2024-2025 cruise season, projections for cruise passengers, port calls, and shipping companies are as follows: Colombia will welcome 192 calls and a total of 292,530 cruise passengers.

Furthermore, 36 cruise companies will arrive in the country, including Norwegian, Princess, Holland America Line, and Royal Caribbean. There will also be 14 inaugural calls from major companies such as Oceania and Seabourn Cruises, and 17 ships will make overnight stays in Colombian ports, marking a significant increase for the industry. Virgin Voyages and Villa Vie Residence are among the new lines that will dock in Colombia during this season.

ProColombia has a specialized team that works towards clear objectives: positioning Colombia as a destination for cruise and nautical tourism, promoting the arrival of new cruise companies, and maintaining existing ones, all with a sustainable approach aimed at contributing to the economic and social development of the destinations where cruise ships dock.

Among the actions undertaken by the entity are the organization of familiarization trips or site inspections to increase the country’s international visibility and enhance business opportunities for entrepreneurs, destinations, and their communities. Specialized training is also conducted in collaboration with major partners, with the goal of preparing emerging destinations. Training for cruise destinations aims to prepare and adapt tourist sites to align supply with demand in international markets, thereby diversifying the locations accessible by cruise ships. The agency also has memberships to build strategic alliances dedicated to promoting and positioning the nautical cruise industry in Colombia with international organizations such as FCCA and US Super Yacht Association.

Efforts are made to participate in international events to promote and position Colombia as an international cruise destination. The agency participates in various specialized trade fairs such as Seatrade Cruise Global and the FCCA Conference, which annually see the participation of industry operators. At the most recent event, Seatrade Cruise Med 2024 in Málaga, focused on expedition cruises, participation was institutional in nature.

ProColombia promotes the country as an integrated cruise destination, which means that it shows cruise lines not only the tourist offer but also all other variables that influence the decision to include Colombia in their itineraries, leveraging port infrastructure, air connectivity, health services, regulations, and the availability of exportable products, among other aspects.

Considering the opportunities created by the cruise industry, ProColombia not only promotes the arrival of ships but also works to ensure that Colombians can work on board various vessels. To this end, together with the Vice Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism and other partners, it supports various companies in organizing their selection processes. Furthermore, it seeks to open opportunities for Colombian entrepreneurs from different sectors to become suppliers and have their products on board. It also collaborates with allies such as ports, Dimar, local authorities, industry associations, shipping agents, and tour operators, among others.

An important point to highlight is the opening of new destinations in Colombia: in 2020, Colombia had 6 destinations, and today, in 2024, it counts 11 destinations authorized to receive cruises. Among the actions taken by the agency are the execution of familiarization trips or inspections to generate greater visibility for the country internationally and enhance business opportunities for entrepreneurs, destinations, and their communities. One example is Lindblad from NatGeo, to whom we brought Sapzurro, Capurganá, and Golfo de Morrosquillo, among others. As a result, we succeeded in getting these locations included in their offer, and since 2022, they continue to receive the company periodically.

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