Cartagena International Boat Show (CIBS)

There's a big boat show this weekend, and if you're looking to escape the lingering cold weather that we're still experiencing here in much of the northern United States, this event is something you should consider. We just received this press release and frankly, our staff was tempted to book a flight to Columbia...

Boaters and boating enthusiasts will gather at the annual Cartagena International Boat Show on March 21-23, 2015 to see, try and buy the latest industry offerings. Celebrating its third year, the trade show is the ideal place to discover the best of the best in the world of sailing, and will be the focal point in the latest innovations, large lineup of new boat releases and maritime technology.


Large nautical companies from around the world will be exhibiting the latest in luxury yachts, sailboats, personal watercraft and sport fishing boats at the Cartagena Convention Center. The event also will feature lectures conducted by experts in the field.  


Likewise attendees can also see the facilities (marine shipyard or dry) that allow Cartagena to serve boats (yachts, sails, among others) that navigate around the city's coast.   

For the first time, the event will feature a Colombian Nautical pavilion called Destino Colombia, a stage dedicated to presenting and promoting the most representative nautical tourist destinations in the country. 

Prominent destinations in the country for sports and nautical tourism include: surfing in Nuquí, a Pacific coast municipality, and windsurfing and diving in San Andres, Santa Marta, Cartagena and Barranquilla, all located on Colombia's Caribbean coast. 

Colombia has more than 120 destinations in 32 departments that offer incredible nautical adventures such as fishing, canoeing, rafting, rappelling, sailing and kayaking, among others. 

Cruise-line offerings will also be showcased at the event, as Cartagena receives 95 percent of cruise ships arriving to the country. 

In 2014, Cartagena received 310,957 cruise-line travelers, an increase from 306,471 in 2013. 

Cartagena is the only city in Colombia with cruise boarding operations, with a growing number of passengers embarking from its ports. In 2013, 49,879 passengers embarked on cruise-lines at the city's port, and in 2014 this figure was 55,139. The majority of passengers embarking on cruise-lines were from Cartagena are Colombians (71.5%), followed by Brazil (19.2%), Argentina (5.7%) and Chile (0.7%), respectively.

Likewise, the Colombian Pacific coast has extended its offer for more cruises to enter the country. The port, with landfalls in Utria and Bahia Solano, received a cruise with tourists for the first time in 2014, which has opened the door to the region as an attractive destination in an industry that moves more than 20 million people a year. 

Currently, cruises in Cartagena are being promoted in countries like Germany, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Spain. Meanwhile, nautical tourism has focused on Australia, New Zealand, Panama, United States, Peru, Uruguay, France, Italy, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. 

For this third celebration of nautical tourism, the Cartagena International Boat Show is expected to draw more than 5,000 attendees, including buyers and sellers, contributing to the city’s and the region's position as an attractive destination for nautical business.

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