Currently in Colombia there are two cases that concern me within the industry, basically because of the way in which they are being presented. The first has to do with the alarm signal sent by the Hotel Association of Colombia (Cotelco) to indicate that in this nation there is an excessive increase in the hotel offer.
The entity clarified that this could be dangerous for the industry in the short and medium term, due to the current financial crisis, which is why they made an invitation to investor prudence.
However, large hotel groups see high possibilities for growth in Colombia. I, for my part, invite you to carry out an in-depth analysis of the real state of the national market, with which it can be determined if indeed the South American nation is prepared for a great hotel demand.
In that country, the industry invested a total of US$550 million in 2008 and that figure could grow by the end of this year to US$700 million. Entrepreneurs say these investments are planned to bear fruit during 2010 and 2011. It will dawn and we will see.
I also consider it important to mention another issue that concerns the industry in Colombia, the "parahotelería". According to Cotelco, the phenomenon has decreased revenues by around US $ 126 thousand, which means notable losses for establishments.
Legal.
These sites, in addition to not paying taxes, rent a room to double or triple the number of people you can receive. Unfair competition. The Colombian Government will have to take action on the matter and improve in some points the decree 2590 that regulates the services of tourist apartments, in order to avoid that those who do business in a correct way continue to be harmed.
