2024-10-03 18:20:47
The school recess week, which this year will take place from October 7 to 13, is one of the key seasons for the hotel sector in Colombia.
The Hotel and Tourism Association of Colombia (Cotelco) has presented its projections for the school recess week of 2024, and the figures are not encouraging for the sector. According to the association’s Hotel Information System (SIH), an occupancy rate of 59.01% is expected, which represents a decrease of 3.82 percentage points (pp) compared to the same season in 2023. This decrease translates into a reduction close to 4%, affecting most of the country’s tourist destinations.
The school recess week, which this year will take place from October 7 to 13, is one of the key seasons for the hotel sector in Colombia. However, according to Cotelco, 16 of the association’s 20 regional chapters could experience a decrease in hotel occupancy. This panorama reflects a drop in tourism dynamism that, compared to previous years, has been more favorable.
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Some destinations would recover
Despite these negative projections, José Andrés Duarte, executive president of Cotelco, highlighted that some destinations show positive signs of recovery. Among these are Casanare, Boyacá and Quindío, where a growth in hotel occupancy of 1.17 pp, 2.92 pp, and 6.73 pp is projected, respectively. These figures contrast with the general trend and suggest that these departments have managed to attract more visitors, possibly due to their diversified tourist offer and their growing infrastructure.
“Domestic tourism must play a fundamental role in economic reactivation, in generating employment and promoting sustainable development,” said Duarte. The manager reiterated the importance of promoting local tourism and promoting alternatives for Colombians to continue exploring the country’s various destinations, which, according to him, is key to mitigating the impact of the slowdown that is projected in the sector.
With these figures, the hotel union faces the challenge of seeking strategies that strengthen national tourism in a season where expectations are not entirely optimistic. The commitment to local tourism and the diversification of the offer could make a difference in this situation.
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