Introduction
Recently, Colombia’s national government, through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism (MinCIT), published a draft decree aimed at modifying the operation of the National Tourism Registry (RNT). The document, more than 27 pages long, proposes stricter controls on tourist accommodation and vacation rentals, including those offered through popular digital platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, and Vrbo, among others.
Since its publication, the proposal has triggered an intense debate. Tourism guilds such as ANATO and COTELCO have expressed support for the initiative, while property owners, hosts, investors, ASOHOST, and the Colombian Chamber of Informatics and Telecommunications (CCIT), among other stakeholders, have warned about its potential economic and operational impacts. Although rumors circulated in December 2025 about Airbnb leaving the country, these claims were later denied. Nevertheless, the discussion remains ongoing.
This article examines the key aspects of the draft decree, its economic implications, the positions of the different stakeholders involved, and the potential effects on tourism, housing, and the formalization of the sector.
Executive Summary
The draft decree amending the National Tourism Registry is not yet in force and remains under technical discussion, but it has already revealed a deep divide among stakeholders. On one side, hotel associations and some citizens are calling for stronger oversight and regulation; on the other, hosts, digital platforms, and investors warn of significant economic and operational risks.
The government’s main challenge will be to strike a balance between stricter regulation and avoiding mass illegality, while respecting constitutional principles such as economic freedom, private property, and the right to work. The debate remains open, and its outcome will be decisive for the future of tourist accommodation in Colombia.
Tourist Accommodation as a Driver of the Economy
Tourist accommodation has become one of the main engines of Colombia’s economy. According to official figures from the National Tourism Registry, as of July 2025 there were 112,582 active service providers, representing a 109.8% increase compared to previous years. Of this total, 58.3% correspond to vacation rentals, a segment largely driven by digital platforms.
In 2024, Airbnb generated a total economic impact of COP $10.6 trillion in Colombia. Of that amount, COP $1.6 trillion went directly to hosts, while the remaining COP $9 trillion boosted related sectors such as retail, transportation, food services, and entertainment. This multiplier effect highlights the relevance of the short-term rental model to the local economy.
Employment, Formalization, and Tourism Growth
The short-term rental sector supports more than 215,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide and includes 70,149 tourist housing units that are formally registered. According to industry data, more than 95% of hosts are already registered with the National Tourism Registry (RNT), demonstrating significant progress in formalization.
At the same time, tourism has become one of the country’s key economic pillars. By the end of 2025, tourism GDP exceeded COP 90 trillion, and international visitor arrivals approached 7 million, generating higher revenues than traditional sectors such as coffee and certain segments of the hydrocarbons industry.
The Medellín Case: Figures and Urban Context
Medellín is one of the most representative examples of the boom in tourist housing in Colombia. As of October 2024, the city had 8,384 registered tourist housing units, of which 69% were apartments, followed by houses (9%), country homes or fincas (3%), and other types of accommodation (19%).
This growth has generated clear economic benefits, but it has also created urban tensions. The debate around gentrification, rising living costs, and the availability of residential housing has intensified, particularly in traditional neighborhoods such as El Poblado, Laureles, and Manila, among others, where tourism pressure has reshaped local dynamics.
For some residents of Medellín’s traditional neighborhoods, the regulation is not intended to stop tourism but to set clear limits on an activity that expanded without sufficient control. “What is at stake is the residential nature of neighborhoods and the right to housing,” said Andrés Franco, a citizen spokesperson who has led opposition to the spread of short-term rentals in residential areas.
According to this view, stricter requirements such as land-use verification, explicit authorization from homeowner associations, and stronger urban planning controls could help prevent the displacement of residents and reduce coexistence issues. Many citizens see the draft decree as an opportunity to close regulatory gaps and prevent more residential neighborhoods from following the same path.
Draft Decree Tightens Control Over Colombia’s National Tourism Registry and Short-Term Rentals
The draft decree proposes transforming the National Tourism Registry (RNT) from a self-declarative system into a pre-verification system administered by public authorities. According to the Colombian Chamber of Information and Telecommunications (CCIT), which opposes the draft, this change would allow Chambers of Commerce to decide who may or may not operate as a tourism service provider, introducing a new level of discretion and prior control.
One of the main changes is the requirement that all tourism service providers, including small property owners operating as individuals, be registered in the Commercial Registry. This would force small hosts to assume the legal and administrative obligations of merchants in order to access or remain in the RNT.
The draft significantly tightens both entry into and permanence within the RNT by requiring civil liability insurance, compliance with parafiscal contributions (FONTUR), and enhanced administrative controls. It also creates the Tourism Registry Verification and Control System (SVCRNT), a real-time interoperability platform connecting Chambers of Commerce with entities such as the tax authority (DIAN), local governments, Migration Colombia, and National Parks. However, Confecámaras has acknowledged that it currently lacks the technical capacity to meet these interoperability requirements, which could lead to administrative bottlenecks and delays.
New urban planning and technical requirements are also introduced for short-term rental properties, including land-use certification, explicit authorization in homeowners association bylaws, fire safety certificates, health approvals, and civil liability insurance. In addition, the draft requires that each property’s RNT be registered in the name of the owner, disregarding the widely used and legally recognized practice of property management by third parties under mandate agreements.
Finally, the decree imposes stricter obligations on digital platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, and Vrbo. These platforms would be required to register in the RNT, disclose whether personal data is stored abroad, verify that each listing has an active and visible RNT, periodically validate registry information, and remove non-compliant listings within 30 days when subject to a final administrative or judicial order.
On the new Verification and Control System (SVCRNT)
The draft decree proposes, as its most ambitious change, the creation of the Tourism Registry Verification and Control System (SVCRNT), a platform designed to allow authorities to verify tourism service providers’ information in real time. The system would be administered by the Chambers of Commerce, under technical guidelines issued by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism (MinCIT), and would be interconnected with databases from the tax authority (DIAN), local governments, Migration Colombia, and National Parks.
However, Confecámaras has publicly acknowledged that it currently lacks the technical capacity to meet the bidirectional interoperability requirements set out in the draft decree. This shortcoming could result in administrative bottlenecks, delays in RNT registrations and renewals, and operational risks for service providers.
From our perspective, the proposal is not viable in the short term from a technological and operational standpoint. Implementing the SVCRNT would require a complex and lengthy process of development, testing, and inter-institutional coordination to achieve the level of interoperability envisioned in the draft. In addition, the regulation delegates verification and control functions—traditionally exercised by the Ministry itself—to a private entity, raising questions about legal soundness and further complicating timely and effective implementation.
Summary of Enhanced Requirements for Tourist Accommodation Units
The draft regulation introduces new documentary requirements for tourist accommodation units. Among the proposed requirements are a land use certificate, the condominium or horizontal property regulations with express authorization for tourist use, and a certificate issued by the fire department.
It also requires the issuance of health clearance certificates, the purchase of contractual and non-contractual civil liability insurance policies—requirements already contemplated under current regulations—as well as authorization from the Owners’ Assembly and a certificate of good standing with FONTUR.
Additionally, the draft establishes that the National Tourism Registry (RNT) for each accommodation unit must be registered in the name of the property owner, disregarding the role of real estate companies or hosts who manage properties under mandate or agency agreements, despite this being a legal, regulated, and widely used practice in the country.
Obligations for Digital Platforms
The government intends for platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo, and others to register with the National Tourism Registry (RNT), indicate if they store personal data abroad, and ensure authorities have access to this information. They will also be required to verify that each listing has an active RNT, display it prominently, and remove listings that do not comply with the regulation.
Additionally, platforms must integrate with the RNT system, validate the information every six months, and remove listings within a maximum of 30 days when a final administrative or judicial order is issued.
Criticism from the Tech Sector and Hosts
The Colombian Chamber of Commerce for Information Technology and Telecommunications (CCIT) and Asohost have stated that the decree imposes obligations typical of large hotel establishments on small service providers, without allowing for transitional periods. According to their data, in 2024, tourist accommodation contributed USD 554 million to the tourism GDP and generated a significant multiplier effect in local economies.
Business owners warn that if the decree is approved without adjustments, more than 90% of the legal supply could disappear, affecting over 215,000 jobs and pushing many operators into the informal sector, contrary to the government’s stated objective.
Gentrification and the Right to Housing
In cities such as Medellín, Bogotá, and Cartagena, citizens and community leaders point out that the uncontrolled expansion of short-term rentals has accelerated gentrification, driving up rental prices and displacing long-term residents.
Community spokespersons argue that the decree could help regulate land use, protect the residential character of neighborhoods, and mitigate coexistence issues associated with certain types of tourism. This issue is one of the most sensitive in the debate, highlighting the tension between economic development and the right to housing.
Support from Tourism Associations
Tourism associations such as ANATO and COTELCO support the government initiative. Paula Cortés, president of ANATO, has emphasized that the goal is not to expel platforms but to ensure safety, quality, and regulatory fairness. From COTELCO, José Andrés Duarte notes that the decree aims to balance obligations and reduce gaps in informality.
However, even within these associations, there are concerns about the government’s capacity to implement the new controls without affecting the high season, causing mass closures of tourist accommodations, reducing supply, and potentially driving up prices due to fewer operators.
