Holy Week is one of the most important religious festivities in Colombia, not only for its symbolic and cultural significance, but also for its strong impact on the country’s economy.
Every year, millions of people move within and outside the national territory, driving key sectors such as tourism, transportation, commerce and gastronomy. In 2024, the Economy Tracking Indicator (ISE) registered a 5.5% growth in March compared to the same month of the previous year, mainly due to the Holy Week effect and the calendar effect, as the major week fell in April in 2023. A similar effect is expected for 2025.
One of the sectors that will benefit the most during this season is tourism. In the hotels sector, occupancy is projected to exceed 70% nationwide, reaching up to 90% in beach destinations and 80% in major cities. Accommodation searches on platforms such as Booking and Despegar have increased considerably, with Cartagena (40%), Bogota (15%) and Medellin (12%) as the main destinations.
Viajes Falabella reports an 88% increase in bookings compared to Holy Week 2024. In addition, there is growing interest in non-traditional destinations such as Tolú, Huila and the Amazon, which have been identified by ANATO as emerging.
Cartagena is positioned as one of the most sought-after destinations. It is expected to receive more than 216,000 visitors, 44% more than in 2024. More than 66,000 are projected to arrive by road, 108,000 by air and Semana Santa: because faith also moves the economy close to 18,000 by cruise ship, the latter with an estimated economic impact of more than US$1.9 million. Bogota has strengthened its religious tourism offer after joining the World Network of Religious Tourism, with activities such as liturgies, sacred concerts and historical routes. The capital expects to receive 220,000 tourists, a 4% increase over the same period last year.
Antioquia, for its part, is promoting the “Vive la Pasión en Antioquia” campaign, promoting tours of municipalities such as Santa Fe de Antioquia, Jericó and Marinilla. It is estimated that more than 1.5 million vehicles will arrive, hotel occupancy will exceed 60% and more than 40,000 foreigners will visit the area.
The Atlántico has also diversified its offer with faith, ecotourism and gastronomy routes, while in Norte de Santander the economy is boosted by the demand for transportation, religious products and typical dishes.
Land transportation will play a key role. The mobilization of 3.3 million passengers is estimated, an increase of 3.6% compared to March 2024. Companies such as Expreso Brasilia and Expreso Bolivariano report increases in sales of up to 15% and 12%, respectively. An increase in vehicle rentals is also expected. In previous years, more than 9 million people have traveled the country’s roads during this season. Air transportation also shows a positive dynamic. Wingo and JetSMART project more than 185,000 passengers mobilized, with occupancies close to 97% and year-on-year growth of more than 150%. The most popular routes connect Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Cali and Santa Marta. According to Forwardkeys, 47,000 international air bookings to Colombia were registered, 11.4% more than in 2024.
The gastronomic sector also recorded an upturn, especially in fish consumption, which has a very marked seasonal behavior at this time of the year. Fedeacua projects a 50% increase in the marketing of aquaculture products compared to the rest of the year, in line with the 35% increase observed in fish sales at the main Corabastos headquarters.
Finally, Migración Colombia estimates a 7% growth in migratory flows. The cities with the highest lodging intentions are Bogotá (38%), Medellín (21%), Cartagena (20%), Cali (4%), and Barranquilla and San Andrés (2% each).
Source:
- Comentario Económico de ANIF, Abril 10 de 2025
