For the first time in history, Bogota will celebrate “Candelaria Despierta” (Candelaria Awake), the Colombian capital’s tourism department announced.
Bogota’s vibrant sector Candelaria will stay awake until 3AM this Saturday in honor of a new dynamic cultural day called Candelaria Awake.
After going 600 days without any registered criminal homicides, the Candelaria neighborhood looks to celebrate its increased safety levels and confirm the great tourism potential it has by throwing the event, Luis Fernando Rosas Londoño, general director of the District Institute of Tourism, told Colombia Reports.
Londoño launched Candelaria Awake saying that, “this initiative […] promotes a more competitive and inclusive tourism.”
The historic center of the Candelaria has been a tourist favorite for many years and was declared the Heritage of the Nation in 1963. The sector offers 136 tourist attractions, representing 30% of touristic offers in Bogota.
In addition to the positive tourism effects of the event, there will be the added bonus of beautification of streets and facades which will contribute to employment generation. Candelaria Awake will also highlight the image of the center as a safe zone of Bogota with the improved safety rates that the area has seen. The activities also represent a significant boost to small and medium sized companies in the neighborhood.
There are approximately 1,600 beds in Candelaria between hotels and hostels, nearly 300 restaurants, and some of South America’s biggest open air artisan markets, confirming the great potential that the neighborhood has.