Twenty pirates boarded a sail boat in Cartagena Wednesday, intimidated tourists and threatened the captain. Fortunately the pirates were actors and the stunt was part of a campaign to educate tourists not to be swindled by swashbuckling unofficial tour operators offering cheap but unsafe tour packages.
“Watch Out for the Tourism Pirates” is the slogan of the campaign run by the Harbor Master, the Coast Guard and the Cartagena Metropolitan Police.
Their mission is to inform tourists that the only body authorized by the maritime authorities to run tours from Cartagena to the national parks of Islas del Rosario, Baru and San Bernardo is La Bodeguita tourist wharf.
The tourist wharf is the only organization that guarantees boats will have all the necessary safety requirements before setting sail, eluniversal.com.co reported.
The tourists aboard the boat buccaneered by the fake pirates escaped with their vacations intact.