Everything, it seems, is coming up roses for the Colombian economy. With Valentine's Day approaching, the South American country, which is one of the world’s biggest exporters of flowers, is blooming in many other sectors too.

Colombia exports 450 million flowers for Valentine's Day, accounting for 12% of the $1.24bn annual trade, but there's more than just romance about its rising status on the world stage.

Trade minister Sergio Diaz-Granados, for instance, has revealed that Colombia is likely to see almost $16bn in foreign direct investment this year, up from nearly $15bn last year.

The country has see a boom in investment, especially in the oil and mining sectors, since a 2002 US-backed security crackdown made many areas in the country safer for investors.

The news will not go unnoticed in the UK where Colombia is among one of 20 targeted high-growth and emerging markets.

Last month UK Trade and Investment’s CEO Nick Baird visited the country, following on from President Santos's visit to London in November 2011 when prime minister David Cameron stated his intent to double our bilateral trade by 2015.

Baird helped launch the UK human resources consultancy company, Hays, in Colombia and he opened the new facilities of UK fragrance manufacturer, CPL Aromas. And he heard repeated calls for the UK to do more to change outdated perceptions of Colombia among businesses and bring more companies to the market. 

It's a market that every other country is eager to trade with as exports are set to rise to $66bn this year from around $55bn last year, helped by a free trade deal with the US that should come into effect in the second half of the year.

Diaz-Granados said that other free trade deals should push more exports to Chile, Central America and Canada this year.

Increased security in Colombia has spurred business and consumer confidence by making it safer for industries to operate and for Colombians to travel cross-country, build second homes and go out to restaurants.

The country's growth last year was 5.5% and Colombia has consistently been highlighted as a top reformer, with a stable political environment, by the World Bank.

The strength is highlighted by the increasing number of Colombian companies, mostly based out of the second city of Medellin, who are starting to internationalise.

Meanwhile, as part of a billion dollar renovation, Bogota's El Dorado airport - Latin America's busiest cargo airport - is doubling its capacity, making it easier to handle a surge in shipments forecast by cargo companies as a result of the free trade agreement with the US.

Avianca Taca Holding, owner of the country's biggest airline, is betting on that expansion. The company doubled its cargo fleet with a $500m purchase last year of four Airbus freighters and says it is considering cargo acquisitions after it sold $260m in an initial public offering last May.

"Avianca's cargo business will probably take off, especially once the free trade agreement gets under way,” said Jorge Zuniga, an analyst at Bogota-based Interbolsa, Colombia’s biggest brokerage. The new facility was “one of the most advanced cargo terminals in the world”.

Chief executive Fabio Villegas says the Airbus planes will allow Avianca Taca, which also has a Miami cargo hub, to maintain or increase its 35% share of Colombian air exports to the US. Flowers account for about 70% of Colombian air exports to the US by volume.

However, the lack of direct flights to London has been highlighted as a significant barrier to increased trade between the UK and Colombia, although Avianca is believed to be attempting to find available slots at Heathrow.