{
  "id": 9109154,
  "title": "Cartagena Leads Wedding Tourism and the Regional Conversation Around the Industry",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/cartagena-leads-wedding-tourism-and-the-regional-conversation-around",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-22T07:28:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/22/cartagena-leads-wedding-tourism-and-the-regional-conversation-around-the-industry/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cartagena, Colombia, is making waves in the Latin American wedding tourism industry. From September 21st to 23rd, the Cartagena Wedding Dreams & Wedding Forum will convene 20 industry leaders from across the region to share insights, forge connections, and explore new business opportunities. This event diverges from traditional congresses, fostering a sense of community among professionals and highlighting Cartagena's potential as a wedding tourism hub.\n\nWith 44% of Colombia's destination weddings taking place in Cartagena, the city has become a key player in the romance tourism scene. Liliana Rodriguez Hurtado, executive president of Corpoturismo, emphasizes that this niche tourism sector generates significant economic benefits, with each event or associated experience contributing US$20,000 to US$50,000 in economic activity. The extended duration of wedding celebrations, from pre-wedding to post-wedding, further amplifies the city's appeal, encouraging visitors to stay for an average of four to six days.\n\nThe 2025 edition of Cartagena Wedding Dreams & Wedding Forum attracted over 1,000 attendees from ten countries, generating 384 business opportunities at the national level and 360 at the international level. Looking ahead to 2026, the event aims to establish Cartagena as a permanent meeting point for wedding industry leaders, fostering new alliances, ideas, and experiences.\n\nOne of the star attractions for the 2026 edition will be Preston Bailey, the internationally acclaimed designer and producer of luxury events. Bailey's career, spanning over four decades, has been instrumental in shaping the wedding industry on a global scale. His portfolio boasts extravagant celebrations for renowned personalities, including Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, Oprah Winfrey, and members of royal families. Bailey's ability to transform spaces into theatrical and extraordinary environments has earned him international recognition and cemented his status as a leading figure in the design and production of high-end weddings.",
  "summary": "Cartagena is once again at the center of the conversation in Latin America about the powerful romance and wedding industry. From this Monday, September 21, until next Wednesday, September 23, a new edition of Cartagena Wedding Dreams & Wedding Forum is taking place in that city, an event that brings together 20 leaders and leading […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}