Colombia as a Future Tourism Destination from U.S. Travelers’ Perspective

Abstract

This research identified the perceptions of U.S. travelers regarding Colombia as a potential tourism destination, including their perception of risk. The framework of destination image and travelers’ behavior, including perceived risk, cognitive and affective images, and perceived value for the trip, was adopted. Data for these behaviors were collected using a self-administered online survey with U.S. citizens who had not visited Colombia. Hypotheses were tested employing Confirmatory Factor Analysis and the Partial Least Squares method to analyze the measurement and structural models. The results indicated that U.S. citizens had a positive affective and cognitive perception of Colombia, which led to a higher perceived value in visiting the country and a strong intention to do so in the near future. This research provides information for tourism organizations in Colombia to develop tourism strategies aimed at attracting international inbound travelers, particularly U.S. residents. The research aims to understand travelers’ perceptions of Colombia as their future tourist destination. This research is significant since Colombia is becoming an attractive tourism destination for international travelers. Therefore, it is important to understand their perceptions and travel behavior towards the country. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to examine Colombia as a potential tourism destination from the perspective of its primary target market. © 2024, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. All rights reserved.