Amid growing concerns about soaring violence in Medellin, the city’s new Tourism Undersecretary assures that tourists can enjoy Colombia’s second largest city without a problem and that common sense is all you need to secure a pleasant stay.
According to Carolina Laverde, presiding as the city’s Undersecretary of Tourism since the beginning of this week, the concerns over violence are unfounded.
“If you go to Medellin you will encounter the same problems as in any city in the world,” she told Colombia Reports. “If you go to a poor neighborhood in New York or London you will encounter exactly the same type of unsafety.”
“The city can guarantee the safety of all tourist who visit the tourist hot spots like Parque Lleras, Parque Botero and Parque Explora,” the official added.
Moreover, taking the famous metrocable to visit the library in Santo Domingo, one of the neighborhoods that’s affected most by the violence, is no problem, Laverde assures. “There is no violence near the public libraries.”
According to the official, Medellin is still getting over the bad reputation it had gained in the 1990’s and that any change in the security situation is looked at through a magnifying glass.
“The city is investing in changing the perception of the city, both nationally and internationally,” she assured.
According to statistics of the national government, tourism in Medellin has not been affected by worrying reports in the media. ” On the contrary,” says Laverde. “Tourism in Medellin grew 32 percent in the first six months of this year compared to 2008.”
Medellin is Colombia’s third most popular tourist destination after Bogota and Cartagena.