Fall in hotel occupancy deepened in August to 53.4%

Hotel occupancy in Colombia continues to show signs of weakening, according to the most recent data from the Monthly Accommodation Survey (EMA) of the National Administrative Department of Statistics (Dane). In August 2024, the national occupancy rate stood at 53.4%, representing a slight drop of 0.5 points compared to the same month of the previous year, when it reached 53.9%. This decline is indicative of the complex situation that the tourism sector in the country is going through.

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Leisure continues to be the main reason for traveling in Colombia, with a contribution of 31.9% in total occupancy. However, it is important to note that travel reasons vary significantly by region. In Bogotá DC, hotel occupancy increased to 63.9% in August 2024, compared to 62% the previous year, with a predominance of business tourism, which contributed 33.4 percentage points.

For its part, Cartagena, a key tourist destination, reported an occupancy of 70.6% in August 2024, although a decrease was observed compared to 71.7% in August 2023. In this case, leisure was the main driver of tourism, contributing 56.1 percentage points to occupancy.

In contrast, the Central Region showed significantly lower occupancy, at just 35.7%, compared to 41.7% the previous year. Here, leisure was also the predominant reason, with a contribution of 23.9 percentage points.

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The Caribbean Coast Region, which includes destinations such as Santa Marta and San Andrés, saw a modest increase in its occupancy rate, reaching 54.4% in August 2024, compared to 53.5% the previous year. Leisure was the main reason, contributing 40.6 percentage points.

The Pacific Region reported occupancy of 43.1%, a slight increase compared to 41.4% in August 2023, with business travel as the main motivation, with a contribution of 22.4 percentage points. On the other hand, in the Santanderes Region, occupancy fell to 36.7%, compared to 39.6% the previous year, where business tourism also dominated, contributing 18.8 percentage points.

Growth in San Andrés and Providencia

A positive fact is observed in San Andrés and Providencia, where hotel occupancy increased significantly. In August 2024, it reached 64.8%, a significant increase from 58.6% the previous year. This growth is almost entirely attributed to leisure tourism, which contributed an impressive 64.7 percentage points to occupancy.

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Beaches of San Andrés

Source: Secretary of Tourism of San Andrés

Economic performance of the sector

The economic performance of the hotel sector also presents significant challenges. In the national total, worrying annual variations were observed. Real income fell 2.1%, driven mainly by decreases in Cartagena (-2.5%)Antioquia (-4.6%) and the Caribbean Coast Region (-3.7%). Besides, Personnel employed in the hotel sector experienced a decrease of 1.3%, with more pronounced falls in the Santanderes Region (-6.4%), San Andrés and Providencia (-5.0%) and Bogotá DC (-1.5%).

However, it’s not all bad news. Real salaries in the hotel sector showed an increase of 2.3%, driven largely by the Caribbean Coast Region (5.4%), Bogotá DC (1.4%) and Cartagena (0.8%). This increase in salaries is an indication that, despite the challenges, there is an effort to improve working conditions in the sector.

PAULA GALEANO BALAGUERA
Portfolio Journalist