Colombia’s ministry of commerce, industry and tourism on Wednesday announced a new tourism campaign called, “Colombia, Magical Realism.”
The campaign aims to attract more visitors to the country and uses the examples of 25 unique experiences in Colombia to tempt foreigners.
During a presentation in Bogota’s recently revamped planetarium, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Sergio Diaz-Granados announced that the new international promotion campaign follows advancements experienced by the tourism sector over the past few years.
“We want to show international visitors what it is really like in the country, the magic that people find here and the great work that has gone into infrastructure, training and the development of projects and destinations,” explained Diaz-Granados.
According to the minister, last year over 3 million foreigners visited Colombia, which reportedly generated 96,000 jobs. These figures should increase in 2013 as the minister believes Colombia, Magical Realism will help to establish Colombia as a world-class destination and draw 3.6 million international travellers by the end of 2013. This equates to an estimated revenue of $3.6 million in transportation fees alone for the tourism industry, up from the 2012 profit of $3.3 million.
“We cannot claim Colombia as an excellent destination without working to strengthen the sector through focused development. The campaign is accompanied by public and private efforts which guarantee the success of the destination,” added the minister.
The campaign, which has an initial cost of $7.1 million, focuses on attractions in Colombia related to nature, adventure, the beach, culture and nautical activities as well as marketing Colombia as a business and convention destination. Agriculture, bird and whale watching, extreme sports, diving, cruises, religious events, festivals and archeological sites are just some of the activities being highlighted by the new campaign.
The ministry is also financing three large projects: The world’s largest eco-tourism park in the Amazon region, a “nautical and diving paradise” in San Andres and an insight into the Wayuu indigenous group in Guajira.
With regards to regional and business competitiveness, Diaz-Granados said that, “Last year the investment in tourist infrastructure exceeded $350 million,” however he will work to increase investment in the sector this year.
“The world sees us differently now; foreign tourists know they can come to Colombia. Now we want to show that this country is magical; there are things that only happen in our country,” declared the minister.
Sources
- Con “Colombia, realismo mágico”, el país avanza para consolidarse como destino turístico mundial
- “Realismo mágico”, la nueva campaña colombiana de turismo dirigida a los extranjeros