Cartagena’s tourism corporation is introducing a new rating system for restaurants in the town to increase competition and achieve world class standards.
So far 20 restaurants have agreed to be categorized under the new program which will rate quality from one to three on the “forks” scale.
“We know that a quality destination like Cartagena with a strong gastronomic sector will attract more tourists, which will in turn give more opportunities to locals. This work is all part of the effort to improve tourism in the area in the long term,” said Luis Ernesto Araujo Rumi, CEO of Tourism Cartagena de Indias.
Alvaro Arevalo Burgos, the manager of aspiring three fork restaurant “La Bruscetta,” has praised the new certification program saying that it would give more confidence to his customers to choose his restaurant as it has a guarantee of quality. “It is an important development as such a system is demanded by both Colombians and foreigners alike,” he said.
The categorization of restaurants is part of the strategic plan of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, which aims for every tourist destination in Colombia to be competitive across all areas.