"The country of beauty": Colombia roadshow illuminates Toronto

ProColombia brought its Destination Colombia Roadshow 2026 to Toronto Wednesday night (Apr. 29), transforming The Illuminarium in downtown’s Distillery District into a floor-to-ceiling showcase of what the tourism agency calls "the country of beauty.”

The setting gave travel pros a unique experience for a destination that, according to ProColombia, welcomed more than 150,000 Canadian travellers in 2025 and is growing at a rate of around 8.5 per cent year over year.

The Toronto stop was the second leg of the roadshow, following Montreal on April 28, with a final stop in Vancouver on Thursday (Apr. 30).

The evening featured presentations, networking, and one-on-one meetings with 17 delegates, including a mix of destination management companies, hotel chains, and airline partners, including Air Canada, Air Transat, Avianca, Copa Airlines and AmaWaterways, which has launched cruises on Colombia's Magdalena River.

Enrique Stellabatti Torres, director of ProColombia Canada, welcomed attendees with a message about what connects the two countries.

"I've realized that Canada and Colombia are closer than once thought - not only geographically, but also through strong ties, similar time zones, and the way our people connect so easily," he said.

Stepping into "the country of beauty"

The goal, last night, was to recreate the mood and feeling of Colombia. 

The venue's walls, floors, and upper surfaces were wrapped in video projections showcasing the South American country's six tourism regions, including the Greater Colombian Caribbean, Colombian Pacific, Western Colombian Andes, Eastern Colombian Andes,  Colombian Massif, and the Colombian Amazon-Orinoco.

Juan Sebastian Sanchez Chica, tourism specialist and strategy lead for Canada at ProColombia, said the concept has been long in the making 

"The idea of this is to really create an immersion for all the Canadians, to make them travel at least digitally, so that they can have this feel of the six different regions that we have,” Sanchez told PAX.

During the presentation, Sanchez highlighted Colombia's unique biodiversity, which represents nearly 10 per cent of the world's species, as well as its 31 ecosystems, six snow-capped peaks, three deserts, three mountain ranges, two oceans, and more than 3,800 kilometres of coastline. 

"For your clients, this means a destination with endless possibilities," he shared. "Today, what matters most is the experience. It's a country where travellers can discover something new every day, with diverse climates, ecosystems, and landscapes all in one trip."

"Momentum continues" - Canada ranks in the top 10

According to ProColombia, the destination welcomed more than six million international travellers in 2025, and Canadians accounted for more than 150,000 of those arrivals.

Canada now ranks among Colombia's top ten source markets, representing approximately three per cent of total inbound visitors.

For early 2026, ProColombia reported the momentum continues. Canada holds the position of fourth highest booking market, with more than 30,000 travellers recorded between January and April alone.

"We are increasing at the rate of around 8.5 per cent year by year," Sanchez said. "So, it's been getting a very good performance."

According to ProColombia, roughly 85 per cent of Canadian arrivals are non-resident foreigners genuinely discovering Colombia as a destination.

"We are not talking about ethnic travel, we are not talking about Colombian travellers to Colombia," said Sanchez Chica. "We are talking about Canadians travelling to Colombia to really get to know the destination."

Nearly 85 per cent of those travellers are couples and families, with peak demand concentrated in January, February, July, and December.

Leisure tourism accounts for 92.4 per cent of Canadian travel to Colombia, with Bogota leading Canadian arrivals at 34,460 visitors, followed by Cartagena at 25,100 and Medellín at 22,116.

According to ProColumbia, nature and adventure, sun and beach, and culture are the most consumed products, while community-based and Indigenous tourism are identified as high-growth segments for the Canadian market.

Expanding air lift

According to ProColombia, 2025 closed with a total of 1,200 frequencies and more than 250,000 plane seats on Canada-Colombia routes.

Currently, more than 6,000 seats per week are available across 30 weekly frequencies, with Toronto contributing 3,687 seats and Montreal 2,529.

Air Canada, Air Transat and Avianca serve the corridor directly, with Toronto and Montreal as the primary departure points.

In an interview with PAX, ProColumbia highlighted a notable shift in seasonal availability.

"This is the first time, for example, in a while that we have extended our winter flights to the summer season," Sanchez said. "So now you have the possibility to go with Air Transat, to go with Air Canada, with direct flights in summer, from Toronto and from Montreal to Cartagena."

Previously, that service ran only from November to April, and this year it extends through October, which ProColombia shared is a great opportunity for trade partners looking to sell the destination beyond the traditional season.

On the WestJet front, ProColumbia acknowledged a setback. A planned Toronto-Medellín route announced for summer 2026 was recently cancelled due to fuel cost pressures.

"We are working on to see how many other airlines we can connect to," Sanchez added.

For travellers outside Toronto and Montreal, options including Copa Airlines and Arajet offer connecting itineraries through Panama City and the Caribbean.

Diversity, authenticity & luxury

When PAX asked what makes Colombia resonate so strongly with Canadian travellers, Sanchez pointed to a quality he feels the two countries share.

"Colombia is one of those countries that I really align with Canada in the sense of diversity," he said. "We have a very, very rich culture. It's like a melting pot of people."

He noted that beyond Spanish, Colombia is home to Indigenous languages and even an African-derived language spoken near Cartagena in the community of Palenque, a cultural richness that he says captivates Canadian visitors seeking authentic, community-rooted experiences.

That authenticity coexists with growing luxury accommodations. Sanchez pointed to the recent opening of a Four Seasons property in Cartagena as an example of how Colombia is evolving to meet travellers at every level.

"You have that contrast of high quality infrastructure alongside, with this authentic and raw destination that you can visit," he said.

Attention travel advisors

ProColombia also highlighted upcoming industry events and tools for trade partners looking to deepen their Colombia expertise, including the Colombia Travel Mart 2026 in February, the Colombia Nature Travel Mart in September, and the Colombia Meetings Travel Mart in April, targeting the meetings and incentives segment.

For agents looking to train, promote, and sell Colombia on the go, ProColombia encourages agents to sign up with the Colombia Destination Specialist program here.

This certification platform is accessible across devices and offers multimedia training, ready-made sales presentations, “high-impact” promotional materials, insider tips, and a certificate of completion upon finishing the course.

For more destination information, visit here.

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