Fontur Colombia

What Fontur Colombia does

Fontur Colombia is the Fondo Nacional de Turismo, a Patrimonio Autonomo (autonomous heritage fund) that administers the Colombian government's mandatory tourism parafiscal contribution and co-finances national tourism development projects. The entity is supervised by the Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (MinCIT) and operated by Fiducoldex, which serves as administrator and legal spokesperson. Its mandate spans the administration of the contribucion parafiscal collected from all businesses registered in the Registro Nacional de Turismo, the execution of tourism infrastructure co-financing (typically with MinCIT covering 75-80% of project costs and municipal counterparts contributing the remainder), national and international promotion of Colombia under the 'El Pais de la Belleza' brand, and capacity-building programs for tourism professionals across rural, heritage, post-conflict (PDET), and diversity segments.

The entity operates a small portfolio of digital assets: a transactional web platform for parafiscal calculation and payment (liquidacionypagoparafiscal.fontur.com.co), the Visit Bogota Conecta MICE marketplace launched in 2025, and the UNESCO/ONU Turismo VMAST visitor-management self-assessment tool deployed across 18 Pueblos Patrimonio municipalities. Programmatic offerings include the Red Turistica de Pueblos Patrimonio (18 heritage towns), Tarjeta Joven Colombia youth tourism card, Colegios Amigos del Turismo schools program (20 years), Diplomado en Turismo Rural Sostenible (2,522 graduates since 2022), and a new Diploma on Tourism with a Differential Approach to Diversity and Inclusion for LGBTIQ+ service providers.

All contracting, co-financing awards, and procurement are executed through the SECOP II public contracting platform, and all promotional content flows through public-broadcast partners (Canal Trece, Red TAL) plus international fair presence (FITUR Spain). Revenue mechanics are twofold: (1) parafiscal levy on gross revenues of registered tourism providers, and (2) national budget appropriations via MinCIT, which fund co-financing outflows such as the Mirador Turistico de Arboletes (COP $3,154M), Ecoparque El Vergel (COP $14,000M+), the Cali Comuna 20 Corredor Turistico (COP $2,420M, 92% Fontur), and the JetSMART airline alliance (COP $200M). Named strategic partners include Fiducoldex, JetSMART, Canal Trece, Tornus Agency, Fenalco, Fundacion Panaca, Fundacion Erigaie, Universidad Externado de Colombia, and UNESCO/ONU Turismo.

Name

Fontur Colombia

Legal name

Patrimonio Autónomo Fontur

Website

https://fontur.com.co

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Fontur Colombia is the Fondo Nacional de Turismo, a government autonomous fund under MinCIT that administers Colombia's mandatory tourism parafiscal contribution and co-finances tourism infrastructure, promotion, and training programs across all 32 departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Tourism Development Fund

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL)

Keywords

• Tourism development fund
• Parafiscal contribution management
• Tourism infrastructure cofinancing
• National tourism promotion
• Rural tourism training

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Tourism Promotion Fund (Contribución Parafiscal): Fontur administers the parafiscal contribution collected from tourism service providers registered in the Registro Nacional de Turismo. Businesses contribute a percentage of their gross revenues, which is pooled and reinvested into national tourism promotion, infrastructure co-financing, and capacity-building programs. This is the primary funding mechanism for Fontur's operations and grant-making activities.
2. Cofinancing for Tourism Projects: Fontur co-finances tourism infrastructure and development projects with contributions from MinCIT (typically 75-80% of project costs) alongside municipal or departmental governments. These public investment flows are managed through the Patrimonio Autónomo structure and Fiducoldex as administrator.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fontur Colombia is the national tourism fund (Patrimonio Aut\u00f3nomo) that collects the mandatory parafiscal tourism contribution from businesses registered in the Registro Nacional de Turismo and reinvests those funds, alongside MinCIT appropriations, into tourism promotion campaigns, infrastructure co-financing (typically 75\u201380% national share), training programs, and destination development initiatives across all 32 Colombian departments. It administers national programs such as the Red Tur\u00edstica de Pueblos Patrimonio, Tarjeta Joven Colombia, and the 'Colombia, El Pa\u00eds de la Belleza' brand, while operating an online platform for parafiscal compliance and co-financing project submissions via SECOP II.

Product overview

Fontur Colombia (Fondo Nacional de Turismo) is Colombia's National Tourism Fund operating under the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. As a government entity rather than a commercial product company, Fontur manages a portfolio of tourism development programs, infrastructure projects, and educational initiatives. The portfolio includes: the Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio network of 18 heritage municipalities; the Tarjeta Joven Colombia youth tourism program; the Contribución Parafiscal digital platform for tourism tax compliance; and infrastructure projects such as the Ecoparque El Vergel in Pereira, the Mirador Turístico de Arboletes, and the Corredor Turístico Comuna 20 in Cali. Fontur also implements educational programs including the Diplomado en Turismo Rural Sostenible (trained 2,522 leaders), the Colegios Amigos del Turismo school program, and the new Diplomado en Turismo con Enfoque Diferencial en Diversidad. The organization operates the Manual de Presentación de Programas y Proyectos as its policy instrument for project formulation, and supports digital platforms like Visit Bogotá Conecta for MICE tourism. Fontur's offerings are structured around five strategic intervention lines focused on competitiveness, infrastructure, promotion and marketing, sustainability, and inclusion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Colombia El País de la Belleza: Campaña nacional de promoción turística de Colombia liderada por MinCIT y Fontur

Products and services

• Red Tur\u00edstica de Pueblos Patrimonio A network of 18 Colombian municipalities with national cultural heritage declarations that promotes sustainable tourism development and protects the country's cultural heritage, coordinated by Fontur across the Red Tur\u00edstica de Pueblos Patrimonio.
• Tarjeta Joven Colombia A youth tourism card program that provides benefits and discounts for young people traveling within Colombia.
• Contribuci\u00f3n Parafiscal Platform An online platform for the calculation, submission, and payment of mandatory tourism parafiscal contributions by businesses registered in the Registro Nacional de Turismo, including regulatory information and compliance deadlines.
• Colegios Amigos del Turismo (CAT) A tourism education program for schools that promotes tourism awareness and love for Colombian territories in classrooms, celebrating 20 years of operation; 125 CAT teachers have participated.
• Diplomado en Turismo Rural Sostenible Rural sustainable tourism diploma program conducted in partnership with Fundaci\u00f3n Panaca, having trained 2,522 leaders since August 2022 across all 32 Colombian departments, with 56% women, 443 from indigenous communities, 703 from PDET municipalities, and 520 peace actors.
• Diplomado en Turismo con Enfoque Diferencial en Diversidad e Inclusi\u00f3n 103-hour diploma program for tourism service providers on differential tourism approach for the LGBTIQ+ community, delivered by Universidad Externado de Colombia and offered through 30 scholarships across 8 Colombian cities.
• Visit Bogot\u00e1 Conecta Digital platform launched to facilitate connection between MICE tourism supply and demand in Bogot\u00e1, integrating service providers into a single platform; launched at the MICE Industry Congress co-organized by Fontur and Fenalco.
• Manual de Presentaci\u00f3n de Programas y Proyectos Updated policy instrument for presenting tourism programs and projects to Fontur, incorporating a program approach, new categories, and clearer rules for improved efficiency and transparency in project formulation and co-financing applications.
• Mirador Tur\u00edstico de Arboletes Tourism viewpoint infrastructure project in Urab\u00e1 Antioque\u00f1o, part of a comprehensive tourism development plan including a tourist dock, 'Malec\u00f3n de los Siete Colores', linear park, and bike path; COP $3.154 million with 80% MinCIT/Fontur funding.
• Ecoparque El Vergel Sustainable tourism infrastructure in Pereira with over 6,500 m\u00b2 of new construction including nature trails, central plaza, sports facilities, multi-purpose hall, and cultural stage, benefiting over 734,000 residents; total investment over COP $14.000 million (75% national / 25% municipal).
• Corredor Tur\u00edstico Comuna 20 Cali Tourism corridor project in Cali Commune 20 with COP $2,420 million investment (92% Fontur), including facade improvements, community murals, and strengthening of 26 collectives, 12 of which were formalized with RNT registration.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 22.5 million non-resident visitors received by Colombia between August 2022 and February 2026
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• JetSMART Airlines (expanded)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 August 2025In August 2025, MinCIT and Fontur announced an expanded partnership with JetSMART Airlines. The alliance targets southwestern Colombia's tourism development through new air connectivity from Cali, with 58+ weekly frequencies covering 5 routes. JetSMART is the third largest domestic operator in Colombia with 17 national routes and 10 connected cities.
• FiducoldexcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFiducoldex serves as the official administrator and vocera (spokesperson) of the Patrimonio Autónomo Fontur. All Fontur operations, contracting, and fund management are executed through Fiducoldex, which provides fiduciary, administrative, and technical support to the autonomous heritage fund.
• JetSMART AirlinesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFontur invested $200 million COP in a strategic alliance with JetSMART Airlines to promote tourism in southwestern Colombia. Five new direct routes from Cali to Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Santa Marta, and San Andrés were activated with 58+ weekly frequencies, representing 12% of flights to Cali and 15% of available seats. The partnership includes digital advertising and billboards promoting emerging regional destinations.
• Alcaldía de Santiago de CalimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint delivery of the Corredor Turístico de la Comuna 20 in Cali with an investment of $2.420 million COP (92% from Fontur, 8% from the municipality). The project included facade beautification, murals, street furniture, collective strengthening, and formalization of 12 tourism ventures.
• Alcaldía de Pereira and Sociedad de Mejoras de PereiramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCofinancing of the Ecoparque El Vergel in Pereira with a total investment of over $14.000 million COP (75% national government, 25% municipal). The Sociedad de Mejoras de Pereira contributed the 22-hectare land and technical studies and designs. The project includes 6.500+ m² of new infrastructure.
• Canal TrecemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanal Trece (public regional television network) co-produces the 'Colombiar 4 Generaciones' docurreality with MinCIT and Fontur. The show reaches over 8 million viewers on open television and millions on digital platforms, extending through the Red TAL to public TV networks across Latin America.
• Tornus AgencymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTornus Agency produced the 'Descubre la Diversidad de Colombia, El País de la Belleza' campaign, which won a 2026 India Catalina Award for Best Non-Fiction Editing. The campaign was presented at international fairs (FITUR) and national industry events.
• Federación Nacional de Comerciantes (Fenalco)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFenalco co-organizes the annual MICE Industry Congress with MinCIT and Fontur, bringing together ~400 tourism professionals for training on global trends, AI, sustainability, and regenerative tourism. The event featured the launch of 'Visit Bogotá Conecta' digital platform and international keynote speakers.
• Fundación ErigaiemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFontur partnered with Fundación Erigaie to implement the UNESCO Visitor Management Assessment & Strategy Tool (VMAST) across Colombia's 18 Pueblos Patrimonio municipalities. The project involved stakeholder mapping (720 actors identified), pilot testing in Salamina, Buga, and Mompox, and the development of destination-specific action plans.
• Fundación PanacacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Panaca served as the academic and technical partner for the Diplomado en Turismo Rural Sostenible, having trained 2.522 rural tourism leaders from all 32 Colombian departments since August 2022 with a total investment of $16.011 million COP.
• Cámara de la Diversidad de ColombiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with MinCIT and Fontur to deliver 30 scholarships for the first Diploma on Tourism with a Differential Approach to Diversity and Inclusion (103 hours, certified by Universidad Externado de Colombia). Targeting tourism service providers in 8 Colombian cities with a focus on the LGBTIQ+ community.
• Universidad Externado de ColombiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversidad Externado de Colombia delivers and certifies the 103-hour Diploma on Tourism with a Differential Approach to Diversity and Inclusion, offered to 30 scholarship recipients in 8 Colombian cities (Pereira, Bogotá, Villavicencio, Cartagena, Neiva, Cali, Medellín, and San Andrés).
• Fundación PintucominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Pintuco co-sponsored the Corredor Turístico de la Comuna 20 in Cali, contributing to the community art and beautification components of the project alongside Fontur and the Alcaldía de Cali.
• UNESCO and ONU TurismomajorTechnology or IntegrationFontur, through MinCIT, implements the UNESCO Visitor Management Assessment & Strategy Tool (VMAST) across the Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio. The VMAST is a digital self-assessment platform designed by UNESCO and ONU Turismo to support sustainable visitor management and destination governance at heritage sites.
• Fundación StarlightmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Starlight, an international organization, certified Villa de Leyva as a Pueblo Starlight thanks to its exceptional low light pollution conditions. Fontur supported the 29th Festival of Astronomy in Villa de Leyva with an investment of over $400 million COP, strengthening Colombia's astrotourism offering.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tourism Australia: Australian government tourism agency responsible for international destination marketing, industry development, and aviation partnerships. Comparable to Fontur in mandate (destination promotion, aviation connectivity, industry capability-building) and in operating a national brand campaign.
• Brand USA: United States national destination marketing organization funded by a private-public partnership to promote inbound tourism through international marketing campaigns. Closely comparable to Fontur's 'Colombia, El País de la Belleza' destination promotion mandate and global-fair presence (FITUR-equivalent).
• VisitBritain: UK national tourism agency that markets Britain internationally and supports domestic tourism development. Comparable to Fontur's blended international-promotion and domestic-infrastructure-investment mandate.
• Tourism New Zealand: New Zealand's national tourism organization that markets the destination globally, partners with airlines, and supports regional tourism development. Comparable to Fontur's aviation-connectivity partnerships (JetSMART) and regional destination program (Red Pueblos Patrimonio).

Broad incumbents

• SECTUR (Secretaría de Turismo de México): Mexican federal tourism ministry responsible for national tourism policy, promotion (e.g., 'México, lo tiene todo'), and infrastructure co-investment. Comparable to Fontur in operating a national destination brand and coordinating federal tourism infrastructure spending.
• ProColombia: Colombian government trade and tourism promotion agency that supports international tourism marketing, foreign investment, and export promotion. Most comparable to Fontur as a sister Colombian public entity operating the international-promotion arm while Fontur manages the domestic co-financing and parafiscal fund.
• Visit Dubai (Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing): Dubai's government destination-marketing organization running large-scale global campaigns and infrastructure co-investment. Comparable to Fontur in mandate and in operating a strong transmedia brand identity, but with significantly larger budget scale.
• PromPerú (PROMPERÚ): Peruvian government agency for export and tourism promotion that runs national destination campaigns and supports tourism-industry development. Closely comparable to Fontur as a regional Latin American peer with a similar tourism-and-trade dual mandate.

Regional players

• Kenya Tourism Board: Kenya's national tourism board running international destination campaigns and supporting community-based tourism. Comparable to Fontur in blending international promotion with community-tourism investment, though operating in a different geography and economic context.
• INGUAT (Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo): Guatemala's national tourism institute that markets the country internationally and supports tourism infrastructure. Comparable to Fontur as a Latin American government destination-promotion entity with a similar fund-management structure, though serving a smaller tourism economy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fonturcol
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Fonturcol
• Facebookes-la.facebook.com/FONTURcolombia
• Instagraminstagram.com/fonturcol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fontur

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fontur Colombia