Colombia’s 23rd Tourist Tradeshow Comes to a Close

The 23rd Tourist Tradeshow of Colombia’s National Association of Travel Agencies and Tourism (ANATO) rolled down its curtains Wednesday after showcasing the recreational products of over two dozen countries and highlighting Panama as the guest nation.

ANATO President Oscar Rueda pointed out this year’s fair grew a whopping 26 percent in number of exhibitors, jumping from 410 participants in 2003 to 480 this time up. In the same breath, exhibition space rented for the tradeshow soared from 4,000 to 5,000 square yards for a 25 percent increase.

Mr. Rueda proposed the creation of a search team with a view to lure international events and congresses for Colombia, as well as the building of additional conference centers and efforts to do away with travel alerts that warn U.S. tourists not to go to Colombia.

For his part, Colombia’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Jorge Humberto Botero stressed his government’s interest in giving local tourist development a big boost.

In referring to the Tourist Tradeshow, Omar Riveros, director of media and public relations for the fair, noted the Conferias Conference Center in Bogota is destined to become Latin America’s premier hub for business travel and tourism.

Mr. Riveros also noted the attendance of foreign delegations hailing from Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, the U.S., the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, among other nations, that traveled to Bogota with their newest and finest attractions.

The fair also provided a perfect setting for both the promotion and marketing of Colombian destinations, an effort that brought the host nation to set up more than a hundred stands and feature 45 exhibitors from travel agencies and wholesalers, the National, Departmental and Municipal Promotion Fund for Tourism, and hotels.