Officials at ProColombia, Colombia’s tourism promotion agency, anticipate a spike in cruise calls and passenger arrivals during the 2023–2024 season. A total of 214 visits from 30 cruise lines are anticipated to bring 329,226 passengers to the South American country.

Between the October to June seasons of 2022–2023 and 2021–2022, according to ProColombia officials, the nation saw a 346 percent increase in passenger arrivals and a 151 percent increase in cruise ship arrivals.

According to agency officials, Colombia’s economy in 2023–2024 will benefit $50 million from the cruise industry. In 2024, ports across the nation will receive ships from Royal Caribbean International, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, and MSC Cruises.

Fourteen cruise ships are scheduled to make port calls at cities such as Cartagena, Santa Marta, and Buenaventura. The first expedition ship arrived in Buenaventura, on the Pacific coast of Colombia, earlier this year, according to officials.

The first-ever cruise call in the area was made in January by the Emerald Cruises ship Emerald Azzura, which docked at the port of Cabo de la Vela in Colombia’s La Guajira department.

The department of La Guajira, according to Colombia’s minister of trade, industry, and tourism Germán Umaña Mendoza, is precisely a region with high potential for [tourism] activity because of its stunning natural landscapes.

“Dedicated to the mandate of the national government and President Gustavo Petro to boost tourism in a broader and improved way in various regions of the country,” State Department representatives for ProColombia say.

According to Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, the organization’s approach is to “promote non-traditional destinations that are emerging as hidden gems with immense potential to captivate and enchant cruise passengers.”