Colombia Ranks Fifth in the Americas as International MICE Events Surge

The South American country has secured its status as one of the best countries in the Americas in terms of international meetings, incentives, congresses, and trade shows. The International Congress and Convention Association has ranked Colombia as being one of the top five countries within the Americas as far as holding international congresses and events is concerned. According to the report, 158 international events have been held in Colombia within the year 2025, representing a 38% rise compared to 114 events in 2024. With this, Colombia has moved up from sixth position to fifth position within the Americas and from third to second position in Latin America.

Colombia Moves Into the Americas’ Top Five

The latest ICCA data provide the clearest evidence of Colombia’s growing MICE competitiveness.

Colombia hosted 158 international events during 2025, compared with 114 the previous year. The 44-event increase represents a substantial expansion in international congress activity.

The country now ranks fifth in the Americas, placing it behind the four destinations above it in the continental ranking.

Colombia’s position also improved within Latin America, moving from third to second.

For the country’s tourism authorities, the ranking is important because international congresses generate demand across hotels, restaurants, airlines, transport operators, convention centres and professional event services.

The benefits also extend beyond the host city when delegates add leisure trips or pre- and post-event stays.

Bogotá and Medellín Lead the MICE Push

Bogotá remains Colombia’s principal business and conference hub, supported by its international airport, hotel capacity, convention facilities, universities and large corporate base.

The capital is also strengthening its profile as a technology and knowledge destination.

In October 2026, Bogotá is scheduled to host the Iberolatino-American Congress of Computational Methods in Engineering, bringing researchers and engineers from 21 countries.

The event is being supported by the Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, ProColombia and Invest in Bogotá.

Medellín is another major part of the country’s MICE strategy.

The city has developed a strong technology, innovation and entrepreneurship identity, alongside modern convention facilities and an established international events infrastructure.

Cartagena adds a different proposition, combining conference facilities and hotels with its historic centre, Caribbean setting and luxury accommodation.

ProColombia Creates a Dedicated MICE Marketplace

Colombia has also increased its commercial focus on meetings and events.

In April 2026, ProColombia organised the first Colombia Meetings Travel Mart, a dedicated business platform for the international MICE sector.

The event brought together 77 Colombian exporters and 35 international buyers from markets including Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the United States, Ecuador, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

The meetings generated projected business opportunities worth US$20.6 million.

The initiative is significant because it gives Colombia’s convention bureaux, hotels, operators and event suppliers a specialised platform for reaching international buyers.

ProColombia has also expanded its participation in major international trade shows, including IMEX Frankfurt, where Colombia presented its MICE offer alongside 16 Colombian businesses and organisations.

Regional Destinations Are Becoming More Important

Colombia’s MICE strategy is no longer concentrated entirely on its best-known destinations.

ProColombia works with a national network of convention bureaux across 11 cities, helping promote destinations with different industrial, cultural and tourism profiles.

Cities represented in Colombia’s 2026 international MICE promotion include Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Cali, Barranquilla and Manizales.

This regional approach is important because business events can generate tourism in destinations that might otherwise receive fewer international visitors.

It also allows organisers to match locations with the purpose of an event.

Technology conferences can connect with Colombia’s innovation clusters, while incentive groups can combine business programmes with nature, food, culture and luxury experiences.

Tax Benefits Need Careful Explanation

The claim that Colombia introduced specialised tax exemptions for international congresses in 2026 is not supported by the official evidence reviewed.

There is, however, a current tax advantage relevant to international tourism.

Colombia’s tax rules provide an IVA exemption for qualifying tourism and hotel services supplied to residents abroad and used in Colombia, provided the legal and documentary requirements are met.

The Colombian tax authority confirmed in 2026 that the exemption can apply even when a Colombian legal entity pays for the service, provided the effective beneficiary is a non-resident, and the other requirements are satisfied.

This should not be described as a blanket tax exemption for international congresses.

The distinction matters because accommodation and tourism services associated with an overseas event may qualify under the applicable rules, but each transaction must satisfy the legal requirements.

Technology Conferences Are Growing

Technology, science and engineering have become an increasingly important part of Colombia’s MICE expansion.

ProColombia reported in September that the country had hosted more than 80 international congresses in technology, science and engineering in recent years, collectively attracting around 32,000 national and international participants.

These events strengthen Colombia’s profile as a knowledge and innovation destination rather than simply a low-cost alternative for corporate gatherings.

Bogotá’s technology ecosystem, Medellín’s innovation credentials and the country’s expanding university and research networks all contribute to this positioning.

Business Events Support Wider Tourism

The MICE sector has an economic impact that extends beyond the convention venue.

International delegates require hotels, restaurants, flights, taxis, transfers and other services. Some also extend their trips to visit cultural and natural attractions.

Colombia’s MICE strategy therefore forms part of a wider effort to attract higher-value international tourism.

Between August 2022 and March 2026, Colombia received more than 23 million non-resident visitors, according to Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and Migration Colombia data analysed by ProColombia.

During the same period, ProColombia supported the capture of 2,173 international events.

Colombia’s MICE Market Enters a Stronger Phase

The most recent ICCA position of Colombia can be used to determine progress. The country has entered the top five in terms of attracting international congresses in the Americas, while the number of events in 2025 has grown significantly from the previous year. The strategy in 2026 is becoming more oriented towards transforming this ranking into business by using marketplaces, participation in international trade shows, regional convention bureaus and destination promotion. For organizers of international events, Colombia has become a country which has both traditional conference cities and innovative technology sector, good air connections and leisure offer. The story which can be told about Colombia is not about the introduction of a new MICE taxation system or overtaking all North American competitors. It is about entering the top five in the Americas in terms of attracting international congresses and developing a MICE network around Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena and other regional destinations.