Meet Claudia Terrade, CEO of Quimbaya Latin America

Why Colombia?

Claudia Terrade - Because, on the one hand, tourism professionals are looking for new destinations and, on the other, travellers are curious to get to know a country they've heard so much about and which is now open to tourism. Basically, it's the only major Latin American country yet to be discovered, a country with unique colonial towns such as Villa de Leyva and Popayan, as well as Mompox and Cartagena, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

What are the country's strengths in terms of business tourism?

C. T. - Firstly, its exceptional natural and archaeological resources. But the country also offers a high-quality hotel infrastructure and world-class convention centres, both in Bogotá and Cartagena, which meet the needs of the Mice market.

How is the French market performing?

C. T. - 2015 was really the year when Colombia positioned itself as a tourist destination in its own right. There's a lot of demand, confirmations are coming in and in 2016 we're sure to double our number of customers. A lot has been said about safety issues.

What is the situation today?

C. T. - In all cases, the areas to be visited are highly secure, and tourism professionals know exactly where it's safe to go.