More than half of Cartagena’s tourists are foreigners

International tourism now accounts for more than half of urban visitors to Cartagena, with the majority arriving on cruise ships, according to Mayor Noelia Arroyo during the presentation of the MedCruise General Assembly, which is taking place in the city this week after fifteen years without hosting this industry event. According to municipal figures, the city’s museums have grown from 270,000 to over 580,000 annual visitors, and the Puerto de Culturas network has seen 231,493 visits in the first five months of the year, a 2.2% increase over the same period in 2024. In May alone, there was a 13.9% increase with 66,581 visitors. Arroyo attributed the tourism growth to the direct impact of cruise ships, which bring in almost a quarter of a million passengers each year.

The event will bring together around 150 industry professionals in the city, including 26 executives from twenty cruise lines, eight international media sources, and key industry personalities, according to Pedro Pablo Hernández, head of the Cartagena Port Authority.