Columbia looks for higher tourist numbers

Columbia is a country that has long suffered the fate of its reputation for drug lords and crooked police and all the violence that goes with such things. With stereotypes like these, it’s no surprise that the Latin American country doesn’t draw quite as many tourists as its neighbours; but this is changing.

This year, Columbia has welcomed almost 800,000 tourists for the period between January and September, representing a 14.2 percent increase from the same period in 2006. The success can be partly attributed to an advertising campaign, ‘Columbia is Passion’.

The country is seeking to change its negative image and show what the country really has to offer. Luis Guillermo is the minister of industry, commerce and tourism, and speaking to the UNWTO general assembly in Cartagena, he said, “The country is outside the points of normal tourism, so we are focusing on certain elements. Security is a reality to bring tourists in…we know that there are areas where tourism is not safe, and we will not promote these areas until they are,”