Vaupés, Guaviare, Guainía and Nariño are emerging as some of Colombia’s fastest-growing destinations for international tourism in 2026, as foreign visitor arrivals expand beyond established gateways such as Medellín, Bogotá and Cartagena. During the first half of 2026, Vaupés recorded a 63.2% increase in foreign visitor arrivals compared with the same period in 2025, followed by Guaviare at 24.7%, Guainía at 21.9% and Nariño at 21.7%, according to figures from Migración Colombia cited by ANATO.
The figures show a changing distribution of international travel within Colombia. While the largest volumes remain concentrated in established tourism centres, smaller and less traditionally visited territories are recording higher percentage growth.
For travellers, that means Colombia’s tourism map now extends further into destinations built around forests, rivers, biodiversity, cultural heritage and outdoor experiences.
Vaupés Records the Strongest Growth
Vaupés registered the highest percentage increase among the emerging destinations tracked during the first six months of 2026. The department recorded a 63.2% rise in foreign visitor arrivals compared with January to June 2025.
Mitú, the capital of Vaupés, provides a base for exploring the department’s Amazonian landscapes and river environment. The wider territory includes opportunities connected with Indigenous communities, nature tourism and birdwatching.
The department’s tourism development planning also identifies natural attractions, rivers, protected areas and Indigenous community experiences among its tourism resources.
For visitors, travel to Vaupés is therefore closely connected with nature and community-based experiences rather than conventional city tourism.
Guaviare Builds Its International Tourism Presence
Guaviare followed Vaupés with a 24.7% increase in foreign visitor arrivals during the first half of 2026.
San José del Guaviare serves as the department’s main urban centre and a starting point for excursions into its surrounding natural landscapes. The region is associated with forests, rivers, rock formations and biodiversity, giving nature and adventure tourism an important role in the local visitor offer.
Guaviare also sits between the Andes and the Amazonian region, creating a geographical setting where different ecosystems meet. Travellers can use the city as a base before continuing towards rural and natural attractions.
The destination’s growing international profile adds another route into Colombia for visitors interested in landscapes outside the country’s established urban and Caribbean circuits.
Guainía and Nariño Add to the Emerging Destination Story
Guainía recorded a 21.9% increase in foreign visitor arrivals during the first semester, while Nariño posted a 21.7% rise.
Guainía offers access to the Amazonian landscape around Inírida, including rivers, forests and Indigenous cultural experiences. The department’s tourism offer connects closely with nature and community-based travel.
Nariño provides a different geographical experience in southwestern Colombia, with highland landscapes, cultural attractions and access to destinations around Pasto and the border region.
Together, the four departments show the range of emerging tourism products now attracting international visitors, from Amazonian ecosystems to Andean landscapes.
Bogotá, Antioquia and Bolívar Still Handle the Largest Volumes
The rise of emerging destinations does not mean that Colombia’s established tourism centres have lost their position. Bogotá, Antioquia and Bolívar remained the three departments receiving the largest shares of international visitors during the first half of 2026, accounting for 35.8%, 24.8% and 18.9%, respectively.
At city level, Bogotá recorded 869,000 international visitors, followed by Medellín with 568,000, Cartagena de Indias with 457,000 and Cali with 96,000 during the period.
These figures underline the different roles within Colombia’s tourism network. Major cities continue to handle large visitor volumes and international connectivity, while emerging departments are registering stronger percentage growth from smaller starting points.
Nature and Culture Expand Colombia’s Travel Choices
The growth in Vaupés, Guaviare, Guainía and Nariño comes as Colombia continues to expand its tourism offer around nature, culture and regional experiences. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism maintains territorial tourism statistics covering non-resident arrivals, air traffic, national park visits and active tourism providers across the country.
The government has also reported continued growth in international tourism. During the first quarter of 2026, Colombia received 1,584,378 non-resident visitors, while international travel and passenger air transport generated US$3.146 billion in foreign-exchange earnings, up 9.4% from the same period a year earlier.
For international travellers, the expanding network creates possibilities for combining major gateways with smaller regional destinations.
Colombia’s Tourism Map Continues to Broaden
A trip to Colombia can now extend beyond the familiar routes through Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena. Visitors can connect established cities with Amazonian landscapes in Vaupés and Guainía, natural attractions in Guaviare or cultural and highland experiences in Nariño.
The first-half figures do not show that emerging destinations receive more visitors overall than Colombia’s major tourism centres. Instead, they show that their percentage growth was substantially higher during the period.
That distinction matters when reading the latest tourism data. Colombia’s established destinations continue to receive the largest volumes, while Vaupés, Guaviare, Guainía and Nariño are expanding their presence among international travellers and adding new regions to the country’s tourism map.
