New York, NY – April 19, 2022 The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) will head to Bogotá, Colombia, for its annual convention from September 8 to 12, 2022. Each year, this association of the travel industry’s most experienced journalists, website owners, photographers, editors, producers, bloggers, public relations experts and hospitality industry representatives from the United States and Canada gather for four days of networking, professional development, and story gathering in a new destination.
“It will be heartwarming and exciting for SATW members to hit the road again for the first international convention since the pandemic,” said Elizabeth Harryman Lasley, President of SATW. “For travel media and public relations professionals who are considering joining SATW, the annual convention presents enormous opportunities for meeting highly qualified travel media, writers and editors, selling stories and getting information for pitches.”
A large turnout is expected for this enticing destination in South America as it is rich in stories and photography opportunities. Colombia and its capital city, Bogotá, have been reinventing themselves into a top travel destination in South America. In addition to the country’s very pleasant temperatures of 55 degrees all year, a variety of themes will engage the attendees.
Karol Fajardo, director of Bogotá District Institute of Tourism (IDT), stated: “It is a great pleasure and honor to host the Society of American Travel Writers for their annual convention this year in Bogotá. A cosmopolitan, dynamic, authentic, vibrant and the hub of multicultural features of the country, Bogotá is a center of knowledge and innovation, a friendly city ready to receive visitors for business, pleasure and other reasons. We look forward to unfold our beautiful and multifaceted city to all SATW members who undoubtedly represent an opportunity for the Bogotá Region to consolidate itself as one of the best destinations to visit in South America and to continue generating opportunities for our businessmen and communities”
Bogotá stands out for its strategic location with more than 80 air connections within Colombia and the world. El Dorado International Airport, the best airport in South America according to Skytrax, is recognized as "The Gateway to Latin America.” The country's capital is recognized as the fourth city in Latin America with the best business environment, according to the IDB's Doing Business 2020 report. It also received the award for Best Business Travel Destination in South America in 2020 and 2021 at the World Travel Awards.
Named a UNESCO City of Music, Bogotá showcases 60 annual music festivals and over 500 live music venues. Once maligned, graffiti has turned into colorful street art, and even one of their own, DjLu, is nicknamed the “Banksy of Bogotá.” Universities and libraries in nearly every block belie the country’s violent past and point to its well-educated populace and peaceful future. The Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango ranks among the world’s most visited libraries. National drinks and sports make for lively and enthusiastic stories with plenty of opportunities for great photography. And, the markets of Bogotá feature dozens of tropical fruits you probably won’t find in a U.S. or Canadian supermarket, including gulupa, uchuva, zapote, borojó, curuba, and lulo.
Bogotá is also the gateway to an extraordinary country. Colombia’s natural and cultural assets are numerous and plentiful. Almost twice the size of Texas, Colombia is the world’s second most biodiverse country with 56,343 species, and it is the leading country in terms of the number of birds, orchids, and palm species. The country features 314 different ecosystems across its six natural regions: Andean, Pacific, Caribbean, Orinoquía, Amazon, and Insular.
Twelve percent of Colombia’s land is under preservation, it is the second largest exporter of flowers in the world, including roses and carnations, and has over 50,000 species of flowers. Over 1,000 miles of coastline, 300 beaches and 1,920 species of birds beckon to those keen on nature, birding, the natural environment and out of doors.
Its culture is vibrant and alluring. There are more than 1,000 musical rhythms that inspire the Colombian people and the world. Eighty-six indigenous tribes call Colombia home and 65 languages are spoken. Colombia is also home to famous authors, artists and places, such as the Juan Valdez coffee region, artist Fernando Botero, writer Gabriela García Márquez, and Cali, the salsa capital of the world
Registration for SATW’s annual convention from September 8 to 12, 2022 in Bogotá, Colombia, is now open and closes May 16. The website for more information and registration is
here or go to
https://satw.org/2022-convention-Bogotá-colombia/. The hotel is the
Hilton Bogotá Corferias. Exciting pre and post tours will explore the Colombia from the coffee region to the Colombian Amazon region whereas day tours during the four-day convention will dive deep into the capital city’s culture with themes, including the botanical garden, shopping , handicrafts and design, the Route of Hope, bicycle tours, indigenous heritage, cooking classes and more.
More information about Colombia and its social media can be found here:
MEDIA REQUESTS: For additional information and interviews with SATW President Elizabeth Harryman Lasley, contact SATW’s External Communications Manager, Victoria Larson,
victoria@vklarsoncommunications.com. For information about SATW and its membership, contact SATW Executive Director Marla Schrager,
mschrager@satw.org.
+++++
SATW is a vibrant resource in and to the travel industry for bringing travel media and destinations together. Founded in 1955, SATW remains the nation’s premier professional travel media organization comprising almost 1,000 of the travel industry’s most experienced journalists, photographers, editors, broadcast/video/film producers, bloggers, website owners, media relations experts and hospitality industry representatives from the United States, Canada and beyond. All members must meet and maintain the industry’s highest standards of productivity, ethics and conduct, and support SATW’s mission of “Inspiring Travel through Responsible Journalism.” SATW welcomes new applications and you can find information on the website at
https://satw.org/join-us/
