Chinese Tourists in Colombia: South America’s New Frontier
Over 20,000 Chinese visitors came to Bogotá in 2024. A few years ago, that number was roughly 1,000. That’s a 20-fold increase in a short period, and it’s driven by three things: Chinese infrastructure investment in Colombia, visa-free entry conditions, and a growing interest among Chinese independent travelers in destinations that most of their friends haven’t been to yet. Colombia is on the edge of breaking through as a mainstream Chinese outbound destination. Tourism businesses in Bogotá, Cartagena, and Medellín have a window right now — before the market matures and the competition gets crowded.
The numbers
- 109,847 Chinese arrivals to Colombia in 2025, ranking China 22nd among source markets (Colombia tourism authorities, 2025)
- Chinese visits to Bogotá jumped from 1,000 to over 20,000 in a few years — a 20-fold increase (South China Morning Post, 2024)
- Colombia welcomed 10.2 million total international movements in 2025, up 6% on 2024 (Colombia tourism authorities, 2025)
- Tourism revenue exceeded USD 21.6 billion in 2025, surpassing coffee, coal, and hydrocarbons as an export category
- Chinese citizens holding a valid Schengen or US visa may enter Colombia without a separate visa — a significant practical advantage
Latest: what’s happening right now
- Colombia explores full visa waiver for Chinese citizens (2025): The Colombian government announced plans to eliminate visa requirements for Chinese citizens entirely. The exact implementation timeline is pending, but the announcement signals a political and commercial commitment to growing the China market. When the visa waiver takes full effect, it is expected to trigger a significant new wave of Chinese arrivals — the friction of obtaining a visa is a real barrier for first-time visitors.
- Colombia first Latin American country on WeChat (Dragon Trail International, 2024-2025): Colombia was one of the first Latin American countries to build an active official tourism presence on WeChat, positioning its tourism board as a pioneer in Chinese digital marketing across the region. This early platform presence gives Colombia’s tourism sector a head start in Chinese market visibility that competitors like Peru and Brazil are only beginning to catch up with.
What Chinese tourists think about Colombia
Chinese travelers who have visited Colombia describe it on Zhihu as “the South America that surprises you.” The safety narrative around Colombia is still evolving — Chinese travelers on these platforms are candid about their initial hesitation and their positive surprise afterward. Medellín in particular gets strong reviews: “A city that transformed itself completely. Clean, modern, with the best cable car views in South America.” The Medellín urban transformation story resonates with Chinese travelers who have seen China’s own rapid urban development and can appreciate what it means to rebuild a city’s image.
Cartagena is the visual heart of Colombian content on Chinese platforms. The colonial old town, the colorful facades, the Caribbean sea — these are distinctive and heavily different from anything in China or standard European destinations. Chinese travelers on Xiaohongshu post Cartagena as “the most photogenic city in the Americas.” The heat and the colonial architecture together create a sensory experience that translates well to visual content. Walled cities photograph well, and Cartagena’s city walls are among the best-preserved in the Americas.
What concerns Chinese travelers about Colombia? Safety, first. The reputation from 20 years ago still creates hesitation, even as the reality on the ground in tourist areas has changed substantially. Chinese Zhihu discussions about Colombia trips always include a section on safety precautions. Businesses that address this directly — with clear safety guidance, curated routes, and honest context — build trust faster with the Chinese market than those that simply ignore the concern.
Opportunities for tourism businesses
Hotels in Cartagena’s old town are the most immediately marketable product for Chinese travelers. The visual quality of boutique hotels inside restored colonial buildings — internal courtyards, tropical flowers, colonial arches — is exactly what Chinese social media content thrives on. If your hotel is in Cartagena and you have a photogenic courtyard or rooftop, that is your marketing asset. Build your Xiaohongshu profile around that single visual element and the Chinese market will do the rest.
Medellín’s tour operators have an exceptional product in the city’s transformation story. The cable car connecting comunas, the Botero sculptures, the street art, the co-working scene — these are all elements that appeal to the younger Chinese FIT traveler who is looking for cultural depth, not just beaches. Tour operators who combine Medellín’s innovation story with day trips to the Coffee Region (Zona Cafetera) have a differentiated product that no other South American destination can replicate.
Nature and adventure operators in the Amazon, Los Llanos, and Sierra Nevada should note that Chinese extreme travel is growing. Colombia’s biodiversity — more bird species than any country on Earth — is a niche but real attraction for Chinese eco-travelers. This market is small but high-spend, and currently very underserved by Chinese-language content. Building a presence on Xiaohongshu with nature photography and wildlife content will capture early-mover advantage in this segment.
Coffee experiences in the Zona Cafetera are a genuine differentiator. Chinese tea culture has evolved toward coffee appreciation among younger generations, and Colombian coffee’s global reputation makes it a compelling experience. A coffee farm visit with picking, processing, and tasting — documented on Douyin — is strong content that connects Colombia’s agricultural identity to a Chinese cultural shift. The “coffee farm to cup” format works extremely well on Chinese food and lifestyle platforms.
Colombia by the numbers
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese arrivals 2025 | 109,847 | Colombia tourism authorities, 2025 |
| Chinese visits to Bogotá growth | From 1,000 to 20,000+ in a few years | South China Morning Post, 2024 |
| Total Colombia international arrivals 2025 | 10.2 million | Colombia tourism authorities, 2025 |
| Tourism revenue 2025 | USD 21.6 billion | Colombia government data, 2025 |
| Visa requirement | Waived for Schengen/US visa holders; full waiver planned | Colombia immigration, 2025 |
| Colombia Latin America digital pioneer | First LA country on WeChat officially | Dragon Trail International |
Reach Chinese tourists on Xiaohongshu and Douyin
On Xiaohongshu, Colombia content is still relatively scarce compared to European or Southeast Asian destinations — which is exactly why early movers have outsized organic reach. Posts about Colombia from Chinese travelers get strong engagement because they’re rare, and Xiaohongshu’s algorithm rewards content that fills gaps in its topic coverage. The most effective content: visual guides to Cartagena’s old town, honest safety assessments from Chinese travelers who went and came back fine, and Medellín city guides with practical transport and neighborhood advice. Key hashtags: #哥伦比亚旅游 (Colombia travel), #卡塔赫纳 (Cartagena), #麦德林 (Medellín). A business that starts building Xiaohongshu content in 2026 will face far less competition than someone doing the same thing for Paris.
On Douyin, Colombia’s visual assets — the colonial architecture, the tropical color palette, the mountain landscapes, the coffee farms — translate very well to short video. The most shareable format for Colombia on Douyin: contrast videos (the colorful colonial city vs. the modern financial district of Bogotá), food discovery (fresh tropical fruit in a market, a proper bandeja paisa), and transformation content (Medellín then and now). Dance and music content — salsa in Cali, vallenato in Cartagena — is a strong differentiator that creates a cultural experience Chinese travelers can engage with emotionally. This kind of content spreads without paid amplification.
Want to get ahead of the Colombia-China market before it becomes mainstream? Our services help tourism businesses build Chinese platform presence early.
Ready to attract Chinese tourists?
Colombia’s Chinese market is at the beginning of its growth curve. The numbers are still modest, but the trajectory is steep and the infrastructure — visa access, air routes, WeChat presence — is being built now. Businesses that invest in Chinese digital visibility today will be positioned as established players when the volume arrives. Contact us to build your strategy.
