With the motto, ‘Colombia Tourism the engine for development’, the MINCIT,
Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, is leading a broad analysis and
reflection about the tourism industry.
Inovative concept: The MINCIT approach towards the citizens is carried out
through suitable buses organized as mobile offices, that will tour the
municipalities of the ‘Tourist Corridors’.
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Purpose of this blog text: give the possibility to more people to know these actions and NOT miss the opportunity to be informed in the ‘mobile offices’ that have enough professional staff. This text is synthetic; for the full official information, please go to «larutadeldevelopment» at www. of the MINCIT <
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Introduction
On December 1 and 2, 2016, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and
Tourism carried out the XXXI version of the National Meeting of Authorities of
Tourism, an event that is considered as one of the main areas in which
the nation and the regions define the guidelines for the tourist development of
the country. This meeting has been taking place periodically for 15 years, had as
theme, the socialization of the Tourist Corridors of Colombia, a new initiative of
planning, ordering and promotion for tourist destinations of the country, which
the Ministry has been structuring as a factor of integration and regional
cooperation.
Also, the Vice Minister of Tourism of Colombia, presented the tourist panorama
of Colombia and praised the good moment for tourism in the country,
giving several very interesting figures (here only three references): We went from
receiving 2’610,000 international tourists in 2010, to 4’447,000 in 2015;
2010 and 2015, employment in the sector increased 17%, reaching 1’818,000;
in 2015, tourism became the second largest generator of foreign exchange.
Despite this positive outlook, the Vice Minister stressed that the country
also requires that its public authorities generate efficient work schemes
in team; cooperation between academia, private and social; articulation and
leadership of the initiatives of the sector in order to strengthen the
competitiveness of destinations; improve the productive approach of
value chains of the territories; promote equity and sustainability in the
development for the improvement of the quality of life of the receiving
communities, as well how to facilitate the enjoyment, spending and knowledge of
our territories by the tourists.
The meeting ended with a productive workday in which the leaders
of regional tourism could validate the initial proposal of each of twelve
‘Tourist Corridors’ that were proposed for the country; and define criterias. It was
the first time, that the Tourist Authorities of the departments and municipalities
that integrate each one of the ‘Corridors’ met. Next, some of the results and
achievements obtained during the event:
Strategy
A tourist corridor or tourist sub-region, is an homogeneous space, in which
because of the close distance of the attractions and services you get to a natural
complementarity.
In 2016, from MINCIT, the idea of restoring the ‘Tourist Corridors’ in Colombia
was resumed, as a regional tourism management and promotion strategy.
Inspired by this fact, where the tourist territory are imagined, built and structured
in the markets as an offer of specific experience. Twelve Corridors were projected
with which Colombia will count and that will be the national strategy that
materializes public and private efforts carried on in the field of tourism in the
country.
These ‘Tourist Corridors’ will become the regional cooperation and integration
strategy that facilitates the exchange of experiences, knowledge, practices and
resources in the sector at a national level.
The Objectives are:
To increase the commercial offer of the country through the ‘Corridors’ that allow:
1. Integrate tourism regions with complementary vocations.
2. Link existing attractions and tourism products.
3. Increase the competitiveness of the regions.
4. Increase the average stay of international tourists.
5. High impact megaprojects in the regions.
6. Reduce seasonality in some destinations.
7. Generate more and better options for domestic tourism.
Structuring Criterias
For the consolidation of the ‘Tourist Corridors’ in the country, six fundamental
aspects were identified, that all had to fulfill.
Structuring by Phases
The tourism development of the country is not homogeneous in all regions and
therefore the ‘Corridors’ that were constituted are in different stages of
development. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism established four
criterias for the classification by groups of each of the ‘Corridors’, in such a way
that the destinations integrated in the corridor have a portfolio of services
directly associated with its development phase.
Once these criterias were applied to destinations, three geographical groups were
defined: Group 1: the ‘Corridors’: of the Selva, the Eastern Plains and the
Orinoquía. Group 2: the ‘Corridors’: of the Central, del Sur, Antioquia – Chocó,
Pacific, Northeast and Gulf of Morrosquillo and Sabana. Group 3: Sea Flower,
Caribbean and PCC.
Mobile Offices
What is it?
It is a strategy of the National Government that seeks to bring the institutional
offers of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, its affiliated entities,
and allied, to the business and community base of tourism, supply
and territorial entities present in each of the municipalities identified in
The ‘Tourist Corridors’ Strategy 2017-2018.
This approach is made through appropriate buses organized as mobile offices
that are travelling the municipalities of the ‘Tourist Corridors’. They are
four (4) buses, with a schedule that varies according to the business base of each
destination, as follows:
Bus 1: Central Corridor and South Corridor.
Bus 2: Corredor Golfo de Morrosquillo, Caribbean Corridor and Plains.
Bus 3: Northeast Corridor, Corredor Antioquia – Chocó and Corredor
Orinoquia.
Bus 4: Coffee Cultural Corridor and Pacific Corridor.
In the mobile offices, specialized information is offered on the subjects
belonging to the institutional offer of tourism, for the strengthening of the
entrepreneurship and the creation of new and better ventures, associated or
related to the productive activity of tourism.
What is the scope?
This initiative is national in scope and has an impact on the 282 municipalities
that are part of the twelve ‘Tourist Corridors’. The ‘Corridors’ were defined and
validated jointly with the territorial entities and are part of a regional cooperation
and integration strategy that facilitates the exchange of experiences, knowledge,
practices and resources in the sector, at the national level. The schedule for the
bus routes for each ‘Corridors’ is found in ‘larutadeldesarrollo’.
What topics can be consulted on the bus?:
Tourist Quality: Sectoral Technical Standards, self-evaluation of tourism
sustainability, current calls for certification in tourist quality.
Training and Training in Tourism: Friends schools program, Bilingualism
program with native teachers.
Labor and Business Formalization: requirements for the development of
tourist activities.
National Registry of Tourism – RNT: procedures for registration and
RNT update, benefits and penalties.
Financing for tourism projects: Bancóldex credit lines
«Energy Efficiency Line for Hotels» and «Business Escalation of the
Tourist Sector PIPE 2.0 «.
Formulation of tourism projects according to the methodology of MinCIT –
FONTUR
Tourist Security – Tourism Police: safe routes, application of Police Code for
the tourism and prevention of the sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents
in the context of travel and tourism – ESCNNA.
Convocatorias del MinCIT.
Entrepreneurship: accompaniment and calls from INNpulsa that
support business development.
Tourism Competitiveness: planning and strategy Tourist Corridors
Tourism Promotion: project formulation, Responsible Tourism,
Campaign Colombia Limpia, Network of Heritage Villages, Points of
Tourist Information – PIT, Youth Card, Tourism and Sports and Tourism and
Crafts.
Complaints and complaints by Providers of Tourist Services.
http://www.mincit.gov.co/larutadeldesarrollo/
‘It is Colombia’s time. Discover it, travel it, enjoy it. Definitely, you will love it.’
goo.gl/MajNAa
(in these links you can find all the official information, do not hesitate to share it with others)
author: Jean Philip
