Natalia Bayona

As one of the youngest public leaders in Colombia in charge of promoting the country abroad, I quickly discovered how tourism could be a powerful engine for change for both social progress and economic development. I dedicated my career to becoming a leader to forge opportunities; I graduated from Government and International Relations and did an Executive MBA from IE Business School which opened the path to new academic tools. When appointed at UN Tourism, I realized the need for the sector to support new businesses and created the Innovation, Education and Investments Department—launching global startup competitions, building a network of over 10,000 innovators, founding the Tourism Online Academy, now with 50,000+ students, and created the first Artificial Intelligence agenda in tourism which led me to becoming the youngest female Executive Director of the organization. Gratefully, this awarded me multiple recognitions like being on the top 500 most influential Latinamericans in the world, and perhaps, one of the most significants, being named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. After being able to participate in some of the most important global scenarios for tourism, visiting more than 100 countries, and having the opportunity to attend the Jonh F. Kennedy School of Government in Harvard, I am certain that I have the mission to inspire young people and help shape a more inclusive and purpose-driven global tourism sector.

How did IE help you get to where you are today?

When I was working in the Colombian government, my dream was to leave the country with a national innovation strategy for tourism, one inspired by the Spanish model. Spain is, without a doubt, a global powerhouse in tourism, and I knew there was much to learn. Studying at IE was the turning point that helped shape my future. The first time I studied at IE, I focused on tourism innovation and was awarded a scholarship to understand how to build a startup ecosystem in my country. Not long after, I pursued the Executive MBA at IE, which once again gave me the tools I needed. This time to develop an entrepreneurial and innovation mindset and design projects with real impact. It helped me think more strategically about tourism as a state policy and how to measure its role in economic and social development. Thanks to my time at IE, I had the best opportunity of my career, first becoming Vice President of South Summit, and then creating the first Department of Innovation, Education and Investments at UN Tourism.

What are three achievements you are most proud of?

1. Becoming the first woman under 40 to join the senior leadership of a United Nations agency, where I’ve traveled to over 100 countries to support the development of their tourism strategies in innovation, education, and investment.
2. Being the first Colombian woman to receive the Eisenhower Fellowship in the United States through the “Women in Leadership” program, which allowed me to create the first Tourism Online Academy, focused on empowering youth and people without access to formal education. Today, it’s a flagship program within the United Nations.
3. Becoming a mother to Miranda, a Colombian-Spanish girl who is now two years old, at the same time I was appointed Executive Director. A powerful example of the strength and capacity women are made of.

What does success look like for you?

To me, success is the combination of personal discipline, the pursuit of opportunity, and luck. All three elements must come together to create a winning outcome.