Narayan AmmachchiA decade ago, Armenia—a mid-sized city in Central Colombia—was little more than a stop on the tourist trail, famous mainly for its UNESCO-recognized coffee landscape.
Today, it is steadily emerging as Colombia’s new tech hub, with giant customer service providers like Teleperformance scouting for talent here.
On Computrabajo, a leading local job board, nearly 200 openings for BPO roles now flash across the screen—evidence of the city’s rising importance.
The biggest draw is the large bilingual workforce fluent in both Spanish and English. Quindío, with Armenia as its main city, ranks first in the nation for English proficiency.
But language is only part of the story. Affordability is the other big draw, according to Taylor Goucher, VP of Sales & Marketing at Connext Global Solutions, the BPO provider headquartered in Honolulu, Hawai.
“Colombia already offers government support for outsourcing, competitive costs, and a growing bilingual workforce. Armenia blends all these benefits with the efficiency of a mid-sized city.”
Armenia is around 30% more affordable than Colombia’s other major cities such as Bogotá and Medellín, stated Diana Caicedo, Executive Director of ‘Invest in Armenia,’ a local investment promotion agency.
Affordability can be found in rent, meals, utility services, and public transport, she told Nearshore Americas.
A Young, Skilled Workforce
The young workforce is another advantage. Nearly 130,000 residents are aged between 20 and 34, Caicedo notes, creating a pipeline of professionals for tech-enabled services.
“Secondary cities (like Armenia) are becoming magnets,” Goucher explains. “Lower operating costs, young bilingual workers, and less competition make them ideal for expansion.”
Connext Global already runs a delivery center in Bogotá with about 200 employees. Goucher indicated that Armenia could the next logical step: “For global service providers, the real draw is access to untapped talent pools.”
Armenia boasts nine universities with more than 50,000 students as of 2023. Over 20,000 of them study STEM-related courses.
“The advantage is there is less competition for talent,” Goucher added.
Invest in Armenia works with universities to design training programs tailored to company needs. The agency even runs job fairs for foreign employers looking to hire locally.
Local municipality also offers tax incentives and cost advantages without compromising on infrastructure. The city’s location gives it easy access to major markets. Situated in Central Colombia, Armenia lies within five hours’ drive of Medellín or Cali.
Just 13 kilometers southwest of the city is El Edén International Airport, connecting directly to Fort Lauderdale six times a week. Daily flights link Armenia with Bogotá and Medellín through Avianca, Latam, and Wingo Airlines.
Digital Backbone
Like major Colombian cities, Armenia has high-speed optical fiber internet. Colombia’s international bandwidth relies on submarine cables like SAm-1 and AMX-1, landing on the Caribbean coast and reaching inland through cities like Cali to Armenia.
Tax incentives seal the deal. The local government offers exemptions of up to 100% based on the number of jobs created.
Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism says BPO and KPO services already account for 3.5% of national GDP and employ over 700,000 people.
The Facts
Population: Armenia municipality proper 310,817 (as of 2025), according to DANE (National Administrative Department of Statistics)
Languages: Spanish speaking population. Rated #1 for English language proficiency among Colombian cities.
Universities: Nine universities, where more than 50,000 students are studying as of 2023.
Connectivity: Colombia’s international bandwidth relies on submarine cables like SAm-1 and AMX-1, landing on the Caribbean coast and reaching inland through cities like Cali to Armenia.
Transport: Most major Colombian cities are within five hours’ travel by road from Armenia. The city is just 13 kilometers southwest of El Edén International Airport, which connects to Fort Lauderdale six times a week. Daily flights link Armenia with Bogotá and Medellín through Avianca, Latam, and Wingo Airlines.
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