Less than 8,000 foreigners visited the country for the Under-20 World Cup, over 20,000 less than predicted by the Ministry of Business, Industry and Tourism, the Hoteliers Association of Colombia (Colteco) has confirmed.
The number coincides with an earlier report based on immigration statistics released by the DAS.
Based on information from the DAS and from FIFA, the organization said 7,932 visitors from participating countries entered the country, a figure that includes each country’s delegation and journalists covering the event.
Colteco President Juan Leonardo Correa Jaramillo was quoted in Dinero saying, “Yes, we were dreaming about the number of tourists, I think we have to sharpen our pencils and paper to do more realistic calculations.”
However, attendances at the tournament were high. Statistics released to the media show in Bogota, the stadium was 99% full for 6 out of 10 matches. In Cartagena attendances reached 95%, in Cali 88% and Medellin 79%.
