With a $500,000 Investment, This Foreigner Seeks to Transform National Tourism

To read the original article in Spanish, click here.

Foreign investments in Colombia remain steady despite uncertainty, and one of the most important and stable sectors is tourism.

Tourism is no longer just about five-star hotels or exotic destinations. More and more, tourism culture is shifting toward authenticity and memorable experiences, and travelers are constantly searching for a more personal service. That’s why Cielo Travel decided to position itself as the bridge connecting modern explorers with the best of Colombian comfort and culture.

This new company, which currently operates as a comprehensive marketing, technology, and experiences platform, was designed with the main objective of connecting different brands to the tourism sector.

With an investment of $500,000 and a team of 10 people, this company has managed to make its way in a competitive market. In this sense, Christopher Leamon set out to build a digital media network that reaches more than 3.4 million people per month and a proprietary, well-segmented community of 500,000 followers.

According to Leamon, this is the most beautiful country in the world. However, he notes that the tourism sector lacks infrastructure. For him, the opportunity is huge; although he’s spent time in nearly 40 countries, he’s realized there are billions of pesos and dollars in opportunities in Colombian tourism, which is why he saw growth potential in this market.

According to the company, with an engagement rate of 18.35% and a monthly follower growth of 5.05%, clients will not only increase their visibility, but also experience real growth in their revenue.

It’s worth mentioning that, with its B2B model, Cielo Travel aims to have four business lines, starting with its digital media and positioning network. Thanks to the community it has built, the company has been able to position luxury tourism brands before highly segmented audiences.

Premium content services, storytelling, digital advertising, and SEO have allowed this initiative to make specialized marketing a fundamental business line.

This would include 24/7 AI-powered chatbots for customer service in multiple languages, customizable booking software that facilitates payments in multiple currencies and optimizes the user experience, and finally, CRM and automation tools to improve communication with guests.

As its fourth business line, the platform seeks to consolidate itself as a transactional platform for international travelers, with the aim of allowing clients to book flights, accommodation, activities, transportation, and various experiences.

“We want to offer something different. Our goal is to showcase unique things from Colombia and offer experiences that can’t be found anywhere else in the world,” says Leamon.

Looking ahead, the company plans to invest between 3 and 5 million dollars to scale its operations with two intentions: first, to strengthen technological solutions to optimize the experience for both travelers and service providers; and second, to invest in and improve boutique properties in strategic destinations across the country.

“For now, I’m 100% focused on Colombia. But my plan is to work with every department in the country to promote its personality because, to me, each department has its own story, personality, and culture.” Leamon adds that his goal is to tell unique and different stories in a way that resonates with foreigners, thus making Colombia’s beauty known.