Caribbean region identified as driver for Colombia's 6% economic growth goal

Colombia's Vice President, José Manuel Restrepo, has identified the Caribbean region as the primary driver for achieving a 6% national economic growth rate. To support this goal, the government is focusing on attracting strategic capital by ensuring tax stability and legal security. Under the 'Misión Crecer' initiative, the Caribbean will host 26 of the 85 national macro-projects designed to transform the country's productive structure, with a particular emphasis on railway infrastructure to improve logistics and connectivity.

In Santa Marta and the Magdalena department, economic reactivation efforts are being driven by tourism and regional coordination. During the 2026 Holy Week season, the Santa Marta Economic Studies Observatory (ODECS) reported approximately 186,000 visitors, generating an economic movement of $178,560 million, a 69.7% hotel occupancy rate, and roughly 13,000 temporary jobs. The Chamber of Commerce of Santa Marta for Magdalena, led by Carlos Jaramillo Ríos, is acting as a central coordinator between the public sector, private companies, and local communities to turn this tourism potential into sustained year-round investment and employment.