Santander promotes sustainable and cultural tourism to attract more visitors in 2025

In August of this year, Booking.com published its Travel & Sustainability report, in which 45 percent of Colombian travelers surveyed stated that choosing less crowded destinations is key when planning their trips. Within this study, Santander was highlighted as one of the country's top destinations for its sustainable accommodations and eco-friendly experiences.

Under the slogan 'Santander, closer to everything; closer to you', the region, located in the northeast of Colombia, seeks to continue working hand in hand with entrepreneurs, institutions and associations in the sector to consolidate itself in the tourism industry with a responsible and sustainable offer.

The departmental administration highlights tourism as one of the main drivers of economic and social development in Santander. Although challenges remain, progress has been made in recent years in strengthening the sector , which is consolidating its position as a key source of employment and income for local communities.

Along these lines, three strategies are being developed so that the department not only continues to climb in the tourism rankings, but also increases the number of national and international visitors.

Laura Patiño, director of the Municipal Institute of Culture and Tourism of Bucaramanga, stated that the capital of Santander is the gateway to the culture of the department.

“Experiential tourism in the region has gained strength thanks to travel agencies, operators and service providers who have managed to stay in the market and attract attention to this territory,” Patiño explained.

The official also highlighted that Bucaramanga connects to attractions such as the Topocoro Reservoir, Barrancabermeja, the Chicamocha Canyon, and San Gil , renowned for its adventure sports. She also emphasized the importance to the tourism sector of the department's three heritage towns: Barichara, Socorro, and Girón.

“We are working hand in hand with the Santander Governorate to strengthen the connection between Bucaramanga and the nearby municipalities, which have a wide range of tourist attractions. We have made progress in quality,” he added.

As part of strengthening the regional offer, more than 100 people are receiving training in universal design for tourist destinations in partnership with TUR4all , an accessible tourism platform developed by PREDIF and the Vodafone Spain Foundation.

Currently, Bucaramanga is connected to eight air destinations, but the goal is to continue expanding connectivity, both air and land, so that more people can explore the region.

According to figures from the Bucaramanga Chamber of Commerce, the department has more than 10,000 companies registered in the tourism sector: 89 percent correspond to hotels and restaurants; 7.9 percent to travel agencies and tour operators; and the rest to transport companies.

Olga Lucía Barrera, executive director of Cotelco Santander, highlighted the collaborative work between the Governor's Office, the Mayor's Office of Bucaramanga, and the Chamber of Commerce. Currently, the destination receives approximately 800,000 visitors annually, generating an estimated economic impact of 94 billion pesos , which benefits the entire tourism sector, from hotels and airports to travel agencies.

Among the main challenges for the sector, authorities agree on the need to identify the municipalities with the greatest tourism potential, strengthen their infrastructure, and increase national and international promotion of the destination.

“We want the people of Bucaramanga to speak with pride about who we are: traditional, full of carranga music, with that Santanderean rural identity that even inspired a Disney movie. We're going to complement the cultural offerings with musical events so that people choose Bucaramanga as their holiday destination ,” Patiño concluded.

ANGIE RODRÍGUEZ - TRAVEL WRITER - @ANGS0614