Venezuela and Colombia discuss binational tourism integration

During the third ‘Gran Debate Nacional por la Construcción del Turismo en Venezuela’ held in Táchira, stakeholders discussed strategies for economic reactivation and binational tourism integration between Venezuela and Colombia.

Economist Asdrúbal Oliveros provided a diagnosis of the Venezuelan economic environment, projecting GDP growth of 6.8% for 2026 and nearly 13% for 2027, driven largely by a 15% to 20% expansion in the oil sector. He noted that this growth will gradually impact commerce, hotel infrastructure, and transport, advising companies to improve service standards to prepare for potential international competition.

Humberto Rodríguez, representing ProColombia, highlighted the importance of the ‘Marca País’ (Country Brand) initiative and noted the current air connectivity of 56 weekly frequencies between the two nations. He emphasized the need for binational complementarity to create mutually beneficial commercial circuits in the border region.