Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with ProColombia

What if one trip could deliver six different adventures without crossing a border? In episode seven of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor and co-host Gabe Saglie head to Colombia - selected as part of Travelzoo’s Canada Best Bets for 2026 - with ProColombia’s, Leisure Tourism Manager, María José Silvato unpack why 2026 is the right moment to go and how to plan a journey that blends value, connection, and real discovery.

We start with the big shifts driving Colombia’s momentum for Canadian travelers: expanded nonstop flights from Toronto and Montreal, strong year-round connectivity, and exceptional value once you land. Then we map out a first-timer route that still feels fresh, Bogotá’s market halls and Monserrate views, Medellín’s cable cars and neighborhood energy, and Cartagena’s sunlit walls paired with island escapes. Along the way, we explore a new kind of luxury that prioritizes authenticity over flash, from private islands and Amazon safaris to Medellín tasting menus that rival global dining capitals at a fraction of the cost.

Meaningful travel takes center stage as we unpack how community-based tourism in Colombia creates jobs, preserves culture, and delivers deeply human experiences. We spotlight ways your travel dollars make an impact, music journeys with local artists, coffee and cacao collectives, and the powerful Lost City trek in the Sierra Nevada. Nature lovers are equally rewarded, with world-class birding at dawn, hummingbirds in abundance, and the second-largest barrier reef around San Andrés and Providencia for conservation-minded divers and snorkelers.

We also cover when to go and why, from Medellín’s Flower Fair in August to the color and rhythm of Barranquilla’s Carnival. Families, couples, and solo travelers will find experiences that fit their style and budget, supported by Colombia’s national sustainability strategy and a growing network of certified operators. Ready to turn inspiration into action? Colombia’s moment has arrived.

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Transcript

Setting The Stage: Why Colombia

SPEAKER_00 0:04

We are seeing a very uh diverse travel profile, and it's because we are diverse in essential uh meaning, so we offer different experiences for almost every type of travel.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Hello everyone and welcome back to our travel trends and travel zoo best bets destination series for 2026. As you've heard over the last six episodes, we have been profiling the most amazing destinations to travel to in 2026 for both Americans and Canadians. And today is particularly special for me because it's off the Canadian list, but it is a truly global destination that I want all of our listeners to better understand because we did a special spotlight episode on Columbia, the focus of today's discussion. Late last year, it's more than three hours because we spoke to tour guides in Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena, as well as two local tourism experts from Impulse Travel. And ProColumbia, who is the tourism board that I have gotten to know over the last few years and have a great respect for, they brought me in to speak at their conference in Montreal, Canada. And one of our favorite listeners, a gentleman named Rodrigo Atuesta, who is based in Colombia, he attended that conference. We finally had a chance to meet in person. And after traveling to Colombia, he kindly asked me to join the board for Impulse. And I have been now multiple times, and I am a huge advocate of traveling to Colombia because it's a destination that has so much to offer in culture, community, cuisine. It's also a place that is being lifted up by tourism. It's incredibly safe to travel to Colombia. It has so much to offer. And it's one of the things that I wanted to highlight to all of our listeners, especially our Canadians, is that it has great value for money. Another big reason to consider traveling there in 2026, given our Canadian dollar and how far it goes in Colombia, as well as all of our American listeners with their American dollars and our European listeners with your Euros, it is such an incredible destination. So I was thrilled when Travel Zoo announced that Colombia was going to be part of the Best Bets series. And so I just wanted to share that context up front. And then I want to bring in our co-host now, Gabe Saglier, who's been hosting these episodes with me. I so enjoy the conversations we have. Gabe, we have discovered already a number of places that we're very keen to both travel to in 2026, including Finland and Chicago. I know I can't wait to get back to Columbia, which is a destination that you have not been to yet. So, Gabe, very keen to bring you into the conversation. But just before I do, I just want to make sure all of our listeners know that we do post clips and highlights on all our social channels, which you can find on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at Travel Trends Podcast. And if you want to take advantage of any of these travel deals, you have to become a member of TravelZoo, which you can do at travelzoo.com and starting from just a dollar for your first month of membership. So definitely become a TravelZoo member. You can take advantage of all their top 20s earlier than anybody else. There's lots of benefits to being a member that you can find on travelzoo.com. And thanks again for being a subscriber and a listener to our Travel Trends podcast. We're so enjoying bringing this series to you every Tuesday. And we have a few more yet to come. But today I'm so pleased to welcome my friend Gabe and to be able to have him introduce our guest from Columbia. Welcome back, Gabe. Great to have you with us again.

Introducing ProColombia And Maria Jose

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Listen, uh always a pleasure to shed the spotlight on my native South America. As you know, I'm a Chilean, and as a small kid, I got to visit Colombia with my parents. Now I need to go back as a just a as a as an older, more seasoned traveler, Dan. So I'm going to tap into your love for this country. And obviously, it's always great to see Colombia on the uh on the best bets list for 2026 from our Canadian team, five great destinations, and Colombia at the very top. As you know, Colombia known as El País de la Belleza, as they say, the country of beauty. Uh, we're talking the Caribbean Sea to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west. You've got the Andes, the Amazon, six distinct regions, premium experiences on the rise there, connectivity, in particular out of Canada, on the rise as well, and travel appeal year-round. So uh obviously, uh no surprise that Colombia is on Travels' best bets list for 2026. And it is a pleasure to actually head right to Bogota, the capital of Colombia, and welcome our guest today, uh, Dan. She is Maria Jose Silva. She's a leisure tourism manager at Pro Colombia. Uh, we'll kind of talk to her over the course of the show today uh as to why Colombia would be having a moment uh in particular in 2026 and what travelers can expect to discover in this beautiful country. Perhaps you haven't been in a couple of years, perhaps you're going for the first time. What is new, what is happening, what's exciting uh in the uh country of beauty. Maria, uh, welcome to um the show. Uh and I thought we could start off by talking a little bit about what Pro Colombia in particular. I know you've been with Pro Colombia for many years, so a little bit about your role and and sort of what you see as exciting and new and fresh in in your beautiful country there for 2026 in particular.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

Thank you, Dan Gay, for this invitation. It's a pleasure to me to be here. Um I've been almost 20 years in Procolombia, so uh this in this month I'm in my 20th anniversary and seven years in this sector that really loves the tourism sector. Uh we are in ProColombia, the agency, the tourism board. We depends on the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Tourism. And we promote International the Country as a world-class tourism destination. That's it, that is the focus that I have. Um, we have the the job to build strong relations with all the uh communities, airlines, media, agencies, uh, advisors. So I'm very excited to be here to uh count uh a lot about our country, the country of beauty, as we mentioned as you mentioned then, and how Colombia is going to be one of the big bets for this year that we are starting.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

Hola Maria and gracias. I'm so thrilled that you're here, and I'm really keen to this for this conversation. As our listeners heard from my introduction about my experience traveling to Colombia, the board that I'm on at Impulse Travel, and my great respect for ProColombia and the team that I've got to meet and get to know at a many industry conferences. And so for me, when I traveled to Colombia, my I mean, and and Gabe already mentioned the country of beauty. I mean, part of it that just from my perspective, it had so much to offer, and it took so long for me to get to Colombia. And I it was one of those realizations like that there's so much misconceptions about this destination, things about safety or just the tourism economy in Colombia is growing dramatically. And the types of experiences you can have in Colombia, given all the regions, the diversity of culture, music, and food, and uh so and I I I can't wait to get back as our listeners heard, but I want what I wanted to ask you is that why now for Columbia in 2026? I want to start with that question because I know, especially for Canadians, there are more routes being opened up to travel to Columbia. And every time I see an update that all of a sudden Air Canada Transat or WestJet or all of a sudden Air Transat's doing direct flights to Cartagena from new cities like Toronto or Montreal, I send that to the team at Impulse. I'm like, look, yes, more Canadians are coming to Colombia. And so that's one reason I see 2026 is the air capacity and some of the flight deals. But obviously, there's many reasons why Colombia in 2026 is a great destination. One other one is value for money that always stands out to me, like some of the experiences you can have in Colombia and how far your Canadian dollar goes, because oftentimes it doesn't go as far traveling directly south of the border in the US. So I see many reasons it's great for Canadians. What would you say would be some of the big reasons why Colombia in 2026?

Colombia’s Transformation And Global Momentum

SPEAKER_00 8:05

Thank you. This really is the right moment for visit Colombia because it's a destination that is trending in not only in Canada, in a lot of countries. For example, last year in 2025, we have the numbers from January to November. Uh, and we welcomed almost six million visitors, international travelers, and over the past four years, almost 20 million millions. That's uh that that are great numbers for us, uh, besides also the the pandemics and the effort that we have uh been doing uh for for uh changing uh the image that we have into international markets. Uh that is the moment we are in the right moment to visit Colombia. We have uh been in a profound transformation over more than a decade, and the numbers are responding to that positively. Tourism has um you mentioned air connectivity, almost uh 90% of our international visitors arrive right this way, so it's an important part of our work to work very closely to the airlines, and uh for a macroeconomic context, also it's important to say that we are the five largest economy in Latin America and we are leading uh in all the numbers, uh not only tourism in economic growth. So this is the moment to visit Colombia, this is the moment we have been working a lot. Um also, for example, to make some inventions, we have leading publications that are telling all international visitors that we are in the right moment. For example, Lonely Planet, Condenaz, or Forbes have positioned Colombia as one of the most visited uh destinations for this year. So these recognition validate our country, the transformation that we have in force, and positioning also the Colombian tourism as a high quality, sustainable quality uh destination.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

I always find it fascinating, Dan, how closely a team like this, a pro-Colombia team, would work with airlines to make sure that consumers have that easy access. Sometimes all it takes is that nonstop flight, uh, and all of a sudden a destination becomes that much more accessible. I'm here in in Southern California, so I'm excited to see the day when we we we get uh these nonstop flights down to Colombia. I know it's currently a one-stop flight for us here, uh, but a lot of appetite for South America, and certainly the last couple of years for Colombia as well, out of out of Southern California. Now, I'm someone who uh needs to to tap into Dan's enthusiasm and actually get myself down there as sort of a you know an adult, more seasoned traveler. And what I find fascinating, uh Maria, is is is this idea of uh the diversity of Colombia? We we've thrown away uh thrown around this this phrase, the country of beauty. We've got oceans on both sides, we've got the Amazon, the Andes, the deserts, the cloud forests. Um you separate you you sort of talk about Colombia in as six, six distinct regions. When you're talking to the new traveler to Colombia, uh how do you tackle the breadth of experiences across these diverse six regions? Are you are you looking at at these six regions individually? Do we embrace them as a whole? And are you seeing some regions perhaps that are starting to emerge from the shadows? You know, we know about Bogota, we know about Medellín, but there's some wonderful hidden treasures, even for those like Dan, who have been to Colombia a couple of times.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

Yes, the first part of my answer is to mention that Colombia, the contributing is our country brand. And it's uh like an umbrella, we mentioned that, that covers also the promotion of exports in foreign direct investment and tourism. That is uh that are all the subjects of Pro-Colombia manage. And the simple way to explain diversity to travels where, in terms of the place, we have extraordinary landscapes, cultures, the biodiversity that come together in only one destination. And with the strategy, the strategy of the six tourism regions, uh, we are offering all of them from glaciers to Caribbean beaches to jungles to deserts to forests, the coffee mountains, Colombia truly feels like six country into one. Each region has its own identity shaped by geography, culture, and people that are our like trends. And um the diversity is rooted in the fact that Colombia contains 10% of the planet's biodiversity. We have also the number ones in, for example, bird species and butterflies and orchids in the world, uh, more than 300 ecosystems, and in only South America, the country will the only country that has true access to the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. Um, what makes this experience even more unique here, for example, is that we have in terms of culture some uh UNESCO heritage, for example, uh vibrant cities, uh world-class astronomy, living traditions, uh places like Sierra Neva de Santa Marta, that is considered an irreplaceable uh place on earth. Uh like a lot of a lot to see. So each region is a whole diverse.

Six Regions Explained: Diversity At Scale

SPEAKER_01 13:49

And one thing I wanted to talk about right at the beginning is the first time traveler. Since Gabe, you mentioned you know you haven't been to Colombia yet. So many of our listeners are going to be in exactly the situation. They're listening to this episode because they're intrigued by Colombia. It seems exotic, it's interesting, but they really have uh either a misunderstanding of the destination, which is all too common, and they don't really understand all the amazing attributes. And you've mentioned quite a few there, Maria. And I wanted to dive into that first time traveler, and just to share my experiences, I mentioned the introduction, but more specifically the itinerary that we decided to embark on, which we went to Bogota, where you're based, and um which uh it was an ideal way to start from my perspective, even though people are concerned that it's such a big city. We we were going to the farmers markets, and what we discovered is that Colombia has um the most diversity of fruit in the world, and it's like the only country in the world where that could actually sustain itself based on how much you could actually cultivate within the country itself. And we went to Medellin and we went to Cartagena, and there are three completely distinct different places. Like, and it's such a hard thing. People ask me, what was your favorite? I'm like, I loved all three, and I really wouldn't have done that first trip any differently. I'm like Cartagena for the coastline and the cuisine, and uh, but Medellin, where so many people are gathering, especially global nomads that have seemed to have you know taken over the city. But there's such great value for money. There's amazing restaurants, as people joke, it's the only thing that's missing is the beach. Um, but it also has so many incredible neighborhoods to be able to explore, these cable cars. Like traveling to Colombia really opened my mind. And so I wanted for you to share what you see as your recommendations for a first-time traveler. Where would you recommend they go? How much time would you recommend uh they take? Because I think it's one of those things we could have just gone to Cartagena. I know some people do that because they go for more of a beach holiday. Uh so tell us a little bit for about the first-time traveler. What recommendations would you have for them?

SPEAKER_00 15:47

It's difficult for me to pick one region, and I have to be politically corrected because we promote Colombia, we don't promote, we don't promote only we don't promote one region. So your region has different styles. So we have to first know the traveler to can do uh an uh uh an accurate uh information on travelers, it may be like wishes, but someone's more adventure, someone's more I don't know, uh biodiversity, authentique, community. So depends on the type of visitor that we are talking about.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

Uh the diversity is so is so interesting, um, and then not only as a as a destination, but we always love to sort of peg certain trends to sort of sort of predict, you know, where American and Canadian travelers are going. And certainly when we talk about this kind of diversity uh that we've been mentioning, you know, wellness travel, you know, cultural travel, nature-inspired travel, weddings and romantic escapes. Are there are there certain trends that you are seeing uh these days, Maria, that are sort of resonating in particular with a North American audience, with Canadians Americans that are encouraged encouraging airlines to therefore invest in greater access in 2026? Uh uh what are some of these these these trends? What are what are these travelers looking for that they're finding in Colombia that uh allows you to that much more effectively promote your destination?

SPEAKER_00 17:18

Um I think there are two main purposes. Uh the meaningful uh journey is is uh of course a must in today's travelers. So feel the diverse, the authentic, the community that uh community uh tourism with meaningful meaningful uh diversity. They also the destination with sustainable practices is also a trend that we are looking and we are promoting. And a responsible tourism that protects the communities and also the nature that has social and environment zero impact that I think that are the trends meaningful travel and diversity sustainable practices.

SPEAKER_02 18:05

Yeah, the concept is interesting, meaningful travel, and I think we've been talking about that in at Travel Zoo in the last couple of years. I know we've touched on this, Dan, and in in previous episodes. This idea that we are responsibly going to a destination so that our impact is is careful and it is thoughtful. I think that translates to the kinds of experiences within that we're seeking. So uh we don't want to just be observers from a distance. We do want to delve in, we do want to connect with the the local environment and with the people who live in these destinations. That emotional impact, I think, by being thoughtful travelers when we get there and just be expanding our horizons uh by by delving you know carefully into these cultures, is is I feel like is is something that Colombia does does quite well.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

Also, I think that the technology the technology is also shaping how you travel and how to discover not only Colombia, the the whole travel in the world. Digital platforms, the EA are driving all the recommendations and highlights uh before you travel. So you have to be very close to technology nowadays.

SPEAKER_02 19:12

And I know we're gonna touch on sustainability here in just in just a moment, but uh dad mentioned value for the money a couple of times here, uh, which I think is important at all budget levels. And I think one of the trends that we're certainly eyeing here is uh the luxury travel sector, the those people seeking premium experiences, uh willing the willingness and desire to invest a little bit more on on sort of unique um uh above the sort of the the normal fray types of of moments and memory-making experiences. Um what what can you say about that sort of five star sector of the travel industry that at the end of the day is still looking to stretch the travel dollar? Does the value that we associate with Colombia uh include the even those sort of more uh well heeled um and and Sort of savier uh travelers.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

We have our own uh luxury. I I think we luxury in Colombia is less about opulence, it's more about uh exclusivity and authenticity. Uh and offer people deep uh experiences that connect with travelers uh to our culture, to our people, to our natural environments. Uh for high-end travelers, uh, we can have some examples. For example, we have a private village, uh private islands, uh safaris in the Amazonian Orinoco region, but it's our luxury, luxury as we know it usually.

First-Timer Routes: Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena

SPEAKER_01 20:41

And just I want to actually give one example of that, Dave, because this is what really blew my mind when I was in Colombia. And many of our American friends may be familiar with a restaurant called El Cielo, a very famous uh chef named Juan Manuel Barrientos created this restaurant. There's one in Miami, there's one in Washington, but it's there's one importantly where he's from in Medin. And this restaurant has, we went, my wife and I, the two of us, we had an 18-course meal. Every every serving was paired with a wine or a beverage. And this is the place that's also famous for the chocolate that they you know that melts in your hands, and then they it's it's it's it's such an incredible experience watching people in this fine dining restaurant all of a sudden like eat chocolate with their hands. It's begun viral on social media. And uh, but it and the the total bill was about$200, and it would have been a thousand dollars in the US. And so this was one of the things like, oh my goodness, but it and the quality and the it's just it was a fantastic finding dining experience, and it was very luxurious, and it was a real kind of like splurge on our trip. But granted in the grand scheme of things, we would pay for that going out for a dinner in Toronto uh and have no nowhere near the experience. So that's for me one of those uh that stands out as kind of value for money. But one of the things I wanted to ask you about, Maria, uh, before we get into community, because community is very near and dear to my heart, and it's part of the reason that I'm involved with impulse travel since I believe in their mission around bringing travelers to Colombia for the right reasons and to uh alleviate some of the social problems that have existed and give more opportunity. So tourism is a very much a force for good in Colombia, and but the it really starts with how you get connectivity. So before we talk about community, I want to talk about connectivity because when people are thinking about a destination, they're thinking about you know, why should I go now? Which is why it's always my first question. And it's like, what and what should I do? Like, what does my first trip look like? And it's like, how do I get there? Everyone and I worked at Lonely Planet for a number of years. I know Lonely Planets recognize Columbia now a number of times as a you know a top destination to travel to. And those for me, like when you open up a guidebook, that how you get there is always important because if it's too difficult, too complicated, and the reality is it's getting easier and easier to get to Colombia. So any of my friends and colleagues have said to me, Well, how do you fly there? I'm like, Air Canada? Like, it's like or Air Trans, like, really? I'm like, Yeah, and like actually, I've flown Avianca twice, and Avianca is part of Star Alliance, and I still get my status miles. So I've actually also flown through Colombia on my way to Chile and stopped over in Bogota because all of a sudden I have friends there, and I'm like, I'm like, oh my God, I'm gonna stop in Colombia. And like so, tell us a little bit about the flight routes that as you understand them for Canadians or even Americans, as as uh Gabe mentioned as well. But tell us some of the direct routes and some of the air capacity and how that's expanding in 2026.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Uh great. I have to mention that we are geographically in the middle of America. So, for example, Bogota is a hub for air connectivity. So that stopover for Chile that you have mentioned is perfectly possible. And we invite you to stay, not only us, you have to stay. And in air connectivity, uh has been our one of our main or central uh like issues in the tourism road. Uh, we have, as I already said, 90% of international visitors arriving by this way. And uh, for example, the expansion of air connectivity last year, 2025, uh includes 22 new routes uh that were launched, and around 29 airlines are operated direct flights to Colombia at this moment. So we have uh great connectivity, and we are in the middle of America. For Canadian travelers specifically, uh connectivity has improved a lot in the past uh years. We are only five hours of distance that also is attractive uh via direct flight. Uh in the year round, the service includes that you already mentioned Toronto Bogota with Abianca and Air Canada, as well as Montreal, Bogota with uh both airlines, boat carriers, and seasonally uh during your winter, uh November to April, there are direct options also Toronto Cartagena Medellin with air transit, Montreal Cartagena with air transit also, and Montreal San Andreas Island with uh Sun Wing. So we have a lot of uh options and we are very close.

SPEAKER_01 25:21

I appreciate that. Sunwing, of course, is now owned by WestJet, and so this is where like there's so much capacity.

SPEAKER_00 25:25

And also just WestJets in summer.

Traveler Trends: Meaningful And Sustainable

SPEAKER_01 25:28

Yeah, and that's like the part that amazed me. That there's also the seasonality, as uh you just pointed to there. And the one other thing I just wanted to highlight for all of our listeners, and it relates to what you just mentioned, Maria, about where you're geographically located. It's only a five-hour flight. And it's like it's five hours to get to Vancouver from Toronto, and it's like, but when you look on a map and you think that flying that far south versus flying that far west, it's just like, well, the world is round and it's really it's like it's it's a sphere. So it looks further on a map than it actually is. And so for me, a five-hour flight to get to Columbia is like, you know, very manageable. Um, but yeah, Gabe, I want to talk about uh community and sustainability. Those are things that, you know, we and you were asking Maria about some of the big trends. Obviously, wellness is so important, um, but people are looking for a deeper connection in the destinations that they're choosing to travel to. They're much more aware of the impact they're having. And ultimately, one of the things I've been talking about this year is uh transformative travel. I see transformation, everyone's seeking it, whether they realize it or not. They're seeking to come back from their travel experience, change or impact it in some way. And you don't get that from just necessarily having a beach vacation or being on a cruise ship. So, but being in a destination like Colombia and moving around different cities and experiencing different cultures and the music, I'm not even a huge like music, but I fell in love with the music in Colombia. I'm like, oh my God, we we did like a music, we got to go to a musician's house and we got to play different instruments, and I all of a sudden learn all the diversity of music in Colombia, given all the different ethnicities and backgrounds. It's like it really is that's something else that was so special. Um, but yeah, I'm keen to know what Gabe was asking is it's like a bit more about the community type experience that people can expect from Colombia, you know, how warm and hospitable everyone is, and also the types of experience you can have in destination that will have a meaningful impact on you so that you come back, you know, feeling changed or you know, truly benefiting from that that getaway.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

Community-based tourism is one of our strengths, I think, that is a political strength that the government has, and every government has it. Not this actual government, the past government, also has an important uh strength in community-based tourism. And it has been transformative across Colombia in many regions, especially those that were isolated or over look for a lot of years. Tourism has created a transformative new way of life, and it's very important to us in that part because it generates jobs, strange local economies, empowers communities to perceive their cultural and natural heritage. So, for example, we have indigenous communities in the Amazon or in the Sierra Nevada, in the northern part of our country, also they are very important rural landscapes in the Coffee region. And also, for example, you mentioned music. Impulse travel has a very interesting package in music, based music of the Maginato. I don't know if you have already done that uh the tour date. Uh is amazing. It's uh uh like 15 days of music and music and visit the northern part of the Caribbean of Colombia.

SPEAKER_02 28:49

And a big part of this, Maria, as you know, is is not just having these experiences, but then as a traveler, having access to them. So uh are you seeing a growing list of things like eco-friendly lodging options, certified sustainable tour operators, just a growing number of of that sort of that link between the the the traveler and the experience that just is making these these kinds of moments uh that much more accessible, just that much easier to access.

SPEAKER_00 29:18

Yes, we have a lot of uh examples of that. Uh for example, um the Magdalena River Luxury Cruises has also a community-based, a sustainable base uh tourism, and is it was launched last year with two bottles, and it uh it has been uh like the return of navigativity in the river. So uh the communities are encouraged to uh know that they have a new uh type of uh way of life. So that's the way they are the tourist is transformation lives.

SPEAKER_02 29:58

And you mentioned if I may just San Andres Island. I actually do have a friend who uh visited San Andres Island last year and said, you know, this rivals from an experiential standpoint a lot of Caribbean resorts that uh in destinations that perhaps people associate with with these kinds of, I don't know, tropical escapes a little bit more, but that the experiences on the ground were that much more meaningful and easy to access. What tell us a little bit about San Andres Island? I I I had to go to the map and see exactly where it was and dig in a little bit deeper because I'd not heard of it before. But to me, that's an example of what of a destination that I think appeals to people who are seeking these sort of familiar escapes, a Caribbean-inspired or sort of tropical destination, but with a much deeper, much more layered uh experience or at least uh options of experiences on the ground.

Luxury, Value, And Signature Experiences

SPEAKER_00 30:46

San Andres is in the northern part of our country and is in the Caribbean uh sea. And it's not only San Andres, it's San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina. And for example, it's a very important sport for dive. Uh and also the the is the second uh the second largest uh barrier of uh reef. Uh only Australia is the first one, so it's the second largest. So dive is very important for San Andreas, and protective protect that area is also a challenge and uh a purpose of for of our country.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

Yeah, and one of the things I wanted to highlight was when you think about Cartagena, where you know you have the second largest coral reef in the world, which I've lived in Australia, so and I've I've uh snorkeled. I'm not a scuba diver, so I'm an avid snorkeler, but I have I've been to the Great Barrier Reef and I've also experienced the Caribbean coast in Colombia. And one of the things, and that's one of the reasons I wanted to ask you, Maria, and uh is about Cartagena and the rest of Colombia is because I know some travelers may be tempted only to go to Cartagena and experience the Caribbean coast and to be able to go to the islands, and that in and of itself is a trip that everyone should do. And I just wanted to share my uh quick experience with my wife because we went the two of us and we had like kind of a romantic getaway that we uh the team booked us in on the island that there's the uh Rosario Islands, and we stayed in on Baru Island, and we stayed in this incredible tree house. And the thing, the coolest thing about this treehouse, it was incredibly luxurious, still very reasonably priced, but um, but it was a bit of a splurge, but we we went for it because we knew that we wanted to be able to see uh the beautiful scenery, the turquoise waters, the beautiful white sand beaches, and but what I didn't expect is that in our tree house it was gonna have a Japanese flushing toilet, which is like the ultimate in luxury. I'm like, how did they get a Japanese toilet in the top of a tree house? It was like two extremes. And it's one of the things the team there had been telling me that there are more luxury, like four seasons is opening in Cartagena. And I think one of the terms that you guys are um utilized is contemporary luxury. And that to me would be a great example of that. Like that was a very luxurious experience. The food and the cuisine was amazing, um, and the place we stayed was extraordinary. But and I think that's what travelers, like that's one type of traveler. So where I'm going with this question, Maria, is the types of travelers that Colombia appeals to. So couples for sure, we're now keen to take our kids back because they're like, Where didn't you take us? Like, so we need to do a family trip to Colombia. Um, there's clearly lots of uh solo travelers. I know with some of the group tour companies, Colombia is a top destination uh for companies like Intrepid or G Adventures that run small group trips in Colombia. Tell us a little bit more about the types of travelers that you're seeing and marketing to that are choosing Colombia.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

We are seeing a very uh diverse travel profile, and it's because we are diverse in essential uh meaning. So we offer different experiences for almost every type of traveler. And uh if we can if you want to point in the Canadian market specifically, we are seeing a strong interest in uh from Arctic couples who are drawn by nature, culture, sustainability experiences, and most of their them are visiting regions such as the Great Caribbean that you have mentioned, where is located Cartagena. Also the Andes, uh Western and Eastern, and also combining with outdoors activities and gastronomy and culture and inertia.

SPEAKER_02 34:25

I was gonna say, Dan, it's funny that you mentioned your kids because as they I've got three kids ages 10 through 20. And as time has gone, especially the last couple of years, they're now familiar with destinations that have been sort of specific to travel between me and you know with me and my wife. These are little romantic escapes or getaways. And but they're now hey, it's time for us to come visit some of these places that you as mom and dad have visited over the years. Now we're becoming saviour travelers. We want to visit these destinations as well. And so that's the kind of travel that I'm planning much more now is uh is family of five travel that is gonna be certainly meaningful for me and my wife, as people who've traveled so many places all over the world, we're always wanting to discover something new, but something that's also gonna make an impact to my 10-year-old daughter, to my 17, 20-year-old sons, uh, and as a family uh as a whole. Do you see uh this and and multi-generational travel money, as you know, is something that those of us from South America are super familiar with, but Canadians and Americans are uh we're seeing greater numbers of multi-gen travelers heading down there. It can Columbia offer a an impactful travel experience to multiple generations, two or three at least, uh traveling together.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

Yes, of course. As I already said, we have been seeing that we offer different types of products for diverse travelers. So we can offer for couples, for family, for uh solo travelers, for uh woman, say Afro also. Um so Colombia is so diverse that we can receive diverse travelers.

Connectivity And New Flight Routes

SPEAKER_01 35:59

And that's one of the things that stood out to me about being in the Caribbean. It's a very different traveler in Cartagena than we saw in Bogota and Medellin. And I'm keen to explore more of Colombia. But one of the other things that stood out to me, too, that I was keen to ask you about, is supporting local communities. And so I saw that in every destination I traveled to. In Bogota, we did a uh uh Breaking Borders tour where you know former gang members are now moved into the tourism industry and they run tours, and there's all of a sudden safety in their community. And so it was um really wonderful to have that sense of being able to have this to affect positive change with your tourism dollar to know that um you're having a positive impact. So that is more important to travelers uh similar to me. But even the places we kept traveling to, whether it be um the coffee plantations or even um uh the chocolatiers that are uh bringing people into these roles from other agricultural uh positions and creating new opportunities for them. So this idea of Colombia as being a leader in conscious travel, not only you know sustainable, but for me, you know, it's wonderful that there are uh natural parks and there's protected reserves, but it's the people for me. Like people planet profit is like it's people and the planet. Like, and so tell us a little bit about how ProColumbia and the travel companies you work with, how you prioritize providing a benefit to local communities. And I'll I'll just say one last example because a friend of mine went to Colombia over the Christmas holidays and uh went to go see the Lost City and was telling me, Oh my god, you have to go to the Lost City. It's like it's in a it's it's like Machu Picchu, but better, because nobody's there and no one else has heard of it yet, and it's still being discovered. And that's this is where Colombia still keeps having these places that are opening up. And obviously, that's changing the reality for that local community. It's it's it's lifting them up and giving them opportunities they may not have had that enables them to have local schools. And uh so tell us a little bit about the community connection on the ground in Colombia and how ProColumbia helps facilitate that.

SPEAKER_00 38:04

I would like to start with the the Los City trek that you have already mentioned, which uh is truly outstanding and deeply moving moving. Um it's uh highlight you have to do if you like trekking and nature and also uh like heritage. It's close to Santa Marta, it's a northern city in our country, Sierra Nueva Santa Marta, and is uh recognized as the most irresponsible, irres irreponsible places in earth. So we have uh a snow uh peak right dramatically besides the Caribbean Sea. So you have to go for your next journey to the Lost City. And in terms of uh sustainability and communities, it is important to mention that as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, Colombia understands that has that responsibility in our hands, and conservation is our priority. Colombia is one of the 12 countries around the world that has a policy, a public policy for students, sustainability tourism. And we have uh working in a plan for 2030 that includes promotion and is based on all the promotion is based with sustainable and community basis. So we promote certifications, high standards, uh high capacity building in programs with local operators. So Colombia has a commitment to sustainability and to community that is definitely uh a must in our country.

SPEAKER_02 39:56

And guys, we've mentioned a couple of times here, Dan, uh coffee plantations. Uh and as life goes has gone on for me, I I wake up earlier and earlier as the years go by. Coffee has become a really good friend of mine, and I've become finicier with the coffee that I drink. For first timers, my dear, how prevalent is the coffee experience on a day-to-day basis for the Colombian? Um, and is coffee, are you seeing coffee and the coffee experience, whether it's visiting a plantation or just sitting down in front of a cup of coffee across from a from from a local, perhaps? How important is coffee to the culture there? And and and what can we expect of the first timers who who might love this wonderful elixir? Uh, how prevalent is it uh as we as we travel across the this beautiful country?

SPEAKER_00 40:42

Uh we have coffee almost in the in all the states or departments in Colombia, not only in the coffee region that we mentioned that like for promoting reasons that are three states, but we have uh coffee plantations in almost the whole country. So it's very important for Colombia. Uh it has been done an important uh promotion, decades promotion of the Federation Nacional de Cafeteros, the brand Juan Valdez. I I think that it's worldwide known. And um they we have made uh uh like a good job in joining the agricultural and the essence of the plantation with the visiting uh of uh the coffee crops and all the culture around it so uh it's Colombia's coffee, and I think it's very important for promotion of agriculture and also tourism purposes.

SPEAKER_02 41:43

And how do you as a Colombiana drink your coffee? Because I love mine, like I'm heavy on the milk or the cream. Is it is it is it a cafe con leche? What is the most common way of enjoying a couple of cups of coffee every time you sit down to uh for a little for a little caffeine?

SPEAKER_00 41:57

Just black, no sugar.

SPEAKER_02 41:59

Oh, you drink it black, okay. Good to know.

Community-Based Tourism And Impact

SPEAKER_01 42:02

I gotta jump in on this one, Gabe, because I am not a coffee drinker. It was not one of the reasons that I initially was um uh as enthusiastic about traveling to Colombia. It wasn't one of the drivers for me because I'm a tea drinker, I was raised by English parents. But here's the interesting thing. I so I what I what I discovered is I don't like coffee, but I love Colombian coffee. And I so and the reason is it's what Maria said. So we went to do coffee tasting. My wife likes coffee, she has it every morning, and so I was like, this is for her more so it's for me. But I was like, I'll I'll I'll go along, I'll taste the different coffees, and I'll go along and understand the different beans. And I was like, oh, I what I discovered though is that the quality of the bean is so incredibly important. Obviously, coffee drinkers, you guys all know this, but the Colombian coffee bean does not require cream or sugar to be added to it in its most pure form. It had there was a slight sweetness, and I was like, so I drank coffee the entire trip because I need my caffeine, and so I fell in love with Colombian coffee and was there. And then the other thing I just wanted to highlight because we wanted to bring gifts back for everybody, and we saw, you know, it's such a big part of the culture in Colombia, both uh coffee and chocolate. And who doesn't love those? Um, and so everywhere that we so we we made an effort to purchase both coffee and chocolate that were from these community-led initiatives that were uh, and that was like you get the story and the background and and the impact it's having. Um, and so you felt really good about, you know, I always try and buy souvenirs that are handmade or make sure that it's like you're giving back in some way. So, yes, so Gabe, I have still have some Colombian coffee. Um I can hook you up. Fantastic. And I yeah, I know when Pro Colombia is at any conference, because I they always bring coffee, and it's like, I'm I'll I'll take a bag. Oh, thank you. I'm speaking. Can I also get one? That's like, yeah. So it is such an important part of the culture. But I know we're we're coming close to time where there's just a couple other questions um we wanted to ask you, Maria, why we have you here with us. Um, and one of them is very much along the lines of traveling to Colombia in 2026 and knowing that there are so many amazing places to explore. We've talked about why and what you can do and how you can get there. Um, for you, I know you cannot be biased, um, but tell us some of the things that are happening in Colombia in 2026 that might be of particular interest. And uh what I'm specifically asking is when to go. Are there festivals or an events that are happening throughout the year that people should plan their travels around?

SPEAKER_00 44:28

Yes, it's a difficult choice for me, as I may already mentioned, because Colombia offers a lot of experiences and forgettable moments. Um but if I had to choose one, maybe bird washing is another mass experience. Um we are number one in bird species. Two eyes a year at the Cornell University does like a concourse, and a lot of years we have been number one in bird species, so maybe that will be one one uh one experience that I recommend. Um culturally speaking, maybe you ask for festivals flower fairy medikin in August is very beautiful. Also the Barranquilla Carnival that is starting in the state, so that will be also a good uh way to know the our culture, our joy, our music. So that are a few experiences that I can recommend to you.

SPEAKER_02 45:36

And may I ask uh if I could, because you're in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, 11, 12 million residents. Um, and I know that you you can't be biased, but as a local in Bogota, a lot of us probably as a first as first timers, is probably gonna be the first place that we fly into uh to access the rest of the country. Is there one spot in your in your city that that you love? Any any secret um uh you know hot spots for you as a local that you would say, hey, you gotta check out this place to eat or this beautiful park or this destination in this gorgeous city of Bogota?

SPEAKER_00 46:08

I think we are we are in uh a city, we have a city that that is a high in altitude. We are 2,600 meters, and there's uh um a church, uh like I think is like 3,000 meters above sea level that is called Monserrate, that you have an excellent view, uh two excellent restaurants, and have uh in experience uh looking around to the whole city.

SPEAKER_02 46:36

Okay, I gotta have my first half day plan there, Dan, in Bogota.

SPEAKER_00 46:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 46:41

Well, one of the one of the things I learned, Gabe, for our uh bird watching is like you, you gotta be up early in the morning, really early, and for some of the birds, yeah, before the sun even rises, to make sure you can see like the Santa Marta parakeets and like some of the the but the the the bird life is a story. I love um um hummingbirds, and like the hummingbirds are in such abundance, and uh so bird watching, it's another one of those things I was like, I guess I I I I love bird watching now too. Like it's like early morning coffee watching birds. It's just like look a new man when you go to Colombia then. Look at you. Yeah, exactly. I could I could I could honestly spend a few months of every year in Colombia and being a Canadian, I think you know what months those will be. I'll see you guys from January till March every year. Um, but this has been such a fantastic conversation, Maria. I really appreciate you joining us. We want to make sure that all our listeners know where they can find out more information about ProColumbia with partners, travel agents that want to work with you, a book trip for their for their clients, and also where travelers should go if they're interested in just learning more information about Columbia. Obviously, they have the Travel Zoo website, and becoming a member is really important to get some of these deals. But where should they go to get more information about ProColumbia and to learn more about Columbia?

Islands, Reefs, And Caribbean Escapes

SPEAKER_00 47:53

Thank you so much for the invitation for this amazing conversation. And I have to uh to uh end also saying that we have recently launched a dedicated training program with for Canadian travelers agents, supported by Travel Pro that allows them to become certified in Colombian Travel Agency specialists. So it's an invitation for being part of this uh uh this amazing uh alliance that we have recently made. And also for more information, we have uh our website Columbia.travel, where you can find all the information of the destination, the six regions that we have been uh uh going through this conversation, all the partnerships that we have, all the events that we are assisting. So that will be an excellent way to know more about Colombia, our webpage.

SPEAKER_01 48:51

Muchos gracias, Maria Jose. Thank you so much for joining us today.

SPEAKER_00 48:54

Thank you very much, both of you. Unplacer.

SPEAKER_01 48:57

Unplacer, gracias. Thanks so much for joining us on this Best Bets Destination Series episode between Travel Trends and Travel Zoo to spotlight the most incredible destinations to travel to in 2026. As you heard, this episode was particularly special for me because I'm a huge fan of traveling to Colombia. And I definitely encourage all of the listeners that enjoyed this episode to check out our special spotlight episode. You can find that on Traveltrendspodcast.com slash spotlights. Look for the episode on Columbia, and then you can also find it very easily on Spotify or Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Now that you've been inspired to travel to Colombia, make sure that you get your Travel Zoo membership for 2026. If you don't have it already, you can subscribe for as little as a dollar for the first month. You can find out more information at travelzoo.com. I of course wanted to say thank you again to Maria for joining us and to Gabe for co-hosting. I always enjoy our conversations together, Gabe, and I'm looking forward to experiencing some of these destinations together over the course of 2026 and beyond. And then don't forget we do post clips and highlights on our social channels, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. And we are releasing episodes every Tuesday with our friends over at Travel Zoo. So make sure you're registered on the streaming platform of your choice to be notified when new episodes go live. And we have another exciting one for you next week. We're heading up to Canada in my backyard and headed to Niagara on the Lake. So that will be a really interesting one, whether it's the winter or summer. It's another year round destination. And for our friends across the border, it's a great place to come and visit Canada any time of the year. So we'll look forward to bringing you that special episode next week. But thanks again for joining us. And until next week, safe travels.