Bogotá is getting ready to turn its main strength - air connectivity - into a powerful tourist attraction tool with the launch of Stopover Bogota: Love at first runway, a strategy of the Bogotá Tourism Office (IDT), in partnership with Avianca, the airline that currently offers the greatest connectivity to Bogotá, with a global network of over 165 routes connecting with 80 destinations in 28 countries.
The strategy, supported by the Bogotá Walks Safely District Development Plan and the Bogotá Airport City program, is presented as a high-impact initiative to position the Colombian capital as a must-stop transit destination in Latin America.
The proposal is clear: to allow international travelers with connecting flights to Bogotá to stay for up to 24 hours at no additional cost on their air ticket and take advantage of their stopover by visiting the best of the city with special offers on hotels, city tours, restaurants and tourist packages offered by local travel agencies through the website Visitbogota.co.
In this way, Bogotá joins a global trend—known as Stopover—which has been successfully adopted by cities like Lisbon, Dubai, and Istanbul, among others. “With Stopover Bogota, we want more travelers to take advantage of their layover to discover our city, enjoy its diversity, and take home a story that inspires them to come back. We want a stopover to turn into a tour of La Candelaria, a lunch with a taste of ajiaco, an afternoon at Monserrate, or an evening enjoying Bogotá's culture. What used to be wasted time can now be an experience that boosts the economy and strengthens the city's image," said Andrés Santamaría, director of the Bogotá Tourism Office.
Why Bogotá?
El Dorado International Airport, with over 355,000 flights operated and 45 million passengers mobilized in 2024, is Latin America's main air connectivity hub. From its runways, flights take off and land to 57 international and 45 domestic destinations, making it a strategic hub between South America, North America, and Europe. However, according to the Great Traveler Survey 2024 of the District Tourism Observatory, 95% of international transit passengers do not leave the airport. With Stopover Bogotá, the city seeks to reverse this trend by activating express stays to boost the local economy, strengthen the image of Bogotá as a destination, and increase tourist spending per visitor.
In 2024, Bogotá welcomed more than 14 million visitors, including 1,871,956 international tourists, showing a growth of 8.7% compared to 2023. Tourism generated close to 7 trillion pesos and more than 106,000 jobs per month, consolidating itself as a key economic driver for the city. Hotel occupancy reached an average of 61.4% and the daily spending of an international tourist was around USD 100. All this reaffirms that Bogotá has the infrastructure, talent and experience to become a competitive short stopover destination.
Stopover Bogotá: A City Experience for up to 24 Hours
Through packages designed by certified local tour operators, travelers will be able to enjoy experiences such as:
- Bogotá in 24 hours: Visit the historic center, museums, gastronomy and shopping.
- Flavors of the capital: Culinary experiences in marketplaces and local restaurants.
- Bogotá in Nature: Trails through the hills, gardens and green spaces within the city.
Each experience is designed to show that Bogotá is not just a stopover, but a city that captivates from the very first moment. Travelers can find the full range of special offers on the city’s official tourism website Visitbogota.co.
With this strategy, at least 472,000 passengers are expected to choose the Stopover Bogotá option between July 2025 and December 2026, generating an estimated USD 40 million in tourism-related spending. Additionally, airport tax revenues are projected to exceed USD 21.2 million.
Avianca, partner airline of Stopover Bogotá
Avianca, the airline with the most extensive route network in Colombia and one of the largest in Latin America, is the official partner of the Stopover Bogotá program. The airline currently connects the Colombian capital to more than 40 international destinations and over 20 domestic cities. Each day, Avianca operates more than 240 flights to and from El Dorado International Airport, carrying more than 32,000 passengers—approximately 18,000 of whom travel through Bogotá—highlighting the city’s position as a hub par excellence.
In its initial phase, the strategy will focus on seven key markets through Avianca’s route network: Lima, Madrid, Miami, Guayaquil, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo. For its part, the Bogotá Tourism Office (IDT) will lead an international promotional campaign in these locations. By the second half of 2025, the number of travelers departing from El Dorado is expected to reach around 72,000, generating an economic impact of over USD 6 million.
"At Avianca, we have been connecting Bogotá, our home, with Colombia and the world for over 105 years. That is why it is an honor for us to be part of projects like Stopover Bogotá, which are essential for building the foundations of the city's future with tourism as the axis of development. We want travelers with stopovers in the city to discover the immense attraction the city is and want to explore it while waiting for their next flight. To make this a reality, it will be very important to continue working with all stakeholders to ensure that El Dorado International Airport has efficient air and ground processes, supporting the economic development of the capital," said Frederico Pedreira, CEO of Avianca.
Stopover Bogotá is more than a tourism promotion strategy; it is a city's vision. It is an invitation for the world to discover in 24 hours all that Bogotá has to offer: history, gastronomy, culture, art, entertainment, nature, and unique shopping tourism experiences, among others. It will be love at first runway that will leave visitors wanting to return.
