Colombia is in the process of creating a marketable “brand” for its Caribbean Providencia and Santa Catalina islands in an attempt to boost tourism, according to a government press release.
The new territorial brand aims to create a unified geographical identity, using, for example, a logo depicting the 19-mile coral reef that borders the islands, one of the largest of its kind in South America.
A national and international promotion strategy will accompany the branding, focusing on “nature, unique experiences and authenticity,” according to the press release.
The initiative is being led by national and local partners of the tourist industry and is part of the Ministry of Tourism’s broader strategy to promote alternative destinations in Colombia and encourage travel, especially during the peak winter months.
Located off the coast of Central America some 56 miles north of the more popular San Andres islands, Providencia and Santa Catalina are prime examples of what the Colombian government feels are overlooked national treasures.
Together with San Andres, the islands form a larger archipelago which contains the world’s largest biosphere reserve, an 8.5-million-acre territory recognized by UNESCO in 2000.
The National Park of Providencia and Santa Catalina is the home for more than 50 different coral species, 270 fish species, 18 resident and 76 migratory bird species and over 370 plant species in a tropical dry forest ecosystem.