Although you’ve read about Colombia in the papers, you also have friends who’ve been and loved it. So, is travelling to Colombia dangerous?
A bad image
I arrived in France 10 years ago. Whenever I mentioned I was Colombian, people were impressed and full of questions about drugs, violence, Pablo Escobar, the FARC, Íngrid Betancourt, etc.
It’s true that the 80s and 90s were a really challenging time for us. The entire Colombian population suffered due to Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel’s drug trafficking operations and the activities of the FARC terrorist group. We lived through civil war, financial crisis, unemployment, inflation, and other horrors. But when Pablo Escobar died in 1993, everything began to change. Since then, the government has taken action to put the leading Medellín Cartel “capos” in prison or eliminate them entirely. Former president Álvaro Uribe also weakened the FARC guerrillas with a clever military strategy.
Because of all this, the government has given the country back its confidence and it’s rising like a phoenix from the ashes. For the past 15 years, the situation in Colombia has been improving, with steady economic growth (Colombia is now the third biggest economy in Latin America), record low unemployment, foreign investment in the country and Bogotá a model Latin American capital. It’s all good news! Want more information to find out if travelling to Colombia is dangerous? Keep reading…
The country’s changing face
The numbers speak for themselves. Over the past 10 years, the Colombian economy has grown by between 4% and 7.5% and the homicide rate per 100,000 people has dropped by two thirds, from 70 in 2000 to 25 in 2015.
Source : Datos macro
Since 1995, Colombia has invested over 8 million dollars in the fight against drug trafficking. Peace negotiations with the FARC have been underway since 2012 and a deal is about to be signed.
So, is travelling to Colombia dangerous?
No, it isn’t. Safety in Colombia is similar to other countries in the Americas like Mexico and Brazil. Below is a table of countries’ homicide rates per 100,000 people in 2015:
Source : Insight crimes
What should you expect when you get there?
You can travel to Colombia with peace of mind. The country’s challenging years are in the past
and there is plenty for tourists to do. You’ll find a bit of everything: idyllic white sand beaches, palm trees and turquoise waters; snow-capped mountains with peaks over 5000 m; the history of the Pre-Colombian people, Spanish colonisation and the first freed slave village in the Americas; and exotic flora and fauna (Colombia is the most biodiverse country in the world per square metre). It’s a long list, but I think the Colombians themselves are the biggest draw. They’re welcoming and endearing: you won’t want to leave!
Below is the experience of one of our first clients: Kevin McNally, a Scotsman living in London!
Planning a trip to Colombia?
We’re English-speaking Colombians who are experts when it comes to travelling round our country. We have 100% customisable tours that take you to the real Colombia. View our trip ideas here or contact us: we’ll be pleased to discuss your plans.
Want to know who we are and why you should travel with us? Click here.