Colombia rose 12 places in a global ranking of the most popular countries in which to hold international meetings.
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) released a report on the 90 most popular destination in 2008. Colombia went from 50th in 2006 to 38th in 2008. It is now a more popular destination than countries such as Uruguay, Russia, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Panama and Puerto Rico.
Nubia Stella Martínez, vice president of Proexport Tourism, which promotes tourism and foreign investment in Colombia, said that 'meeting tourism' is important for the country because it regulates seasonal tourism, creates employment and promotes professional exchange of knowledge. It also complements national tourism campaigns.
Cartagena and Bogota both increased their rankings of the most popular cities. Cartagena rose 20 places 89th to 69th. Bogota went from 114th to 108th.