Above: the Tcherassi hotel in Cartagena on the Caribbean coast of Colombia

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Delta is expanding in the Caribbean region — into one of the region’s booming tourism destinations.

The carrier announced Monday that it would be launching service between Atlanta and the city of Cartagena on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.

The service will launch on Dec. 19, with thrice-weekly roundtrip service between Atlanta and Cartagena. Delta also announced daily service to the Colombian city of Medellin in the interior of the country.

“Delta wants to be the best US airline in Latin America by providing a comprehensive route network that meets our customers’ needs, whether they want to relax by the beach or do business around the world,” said Nicolas Ferri, Delta’s vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Our new routes in Colombia are the latest in a series of enhancements and a sign of our steadfast commitment to our customers in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

The Cartagena service will be operated on 160-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

“The Atlanta-Cartagena route presents customers with access to the Colombian Caribbean and its unique coastal cities,” the company said.