Dear Vice-Minister, what are the main management pillars of the Vice-Ministry of Tourism under your leadership and how are they being articulated to achieve a balanced, sustainable and inclusive tourism development in the country?

Tourism is one of the National Government's commitments to generate sustainable, responsible and regenerative development in the Colombian regions, supporting economic transition and the protection of nature. We have been working to strengthen the inclusion and participation of communities and territories in the country's tourism development, generating the integration of culture and traditional knowledge.

Likewise, another of the pillars of our management is to work for total peace, which not only generates guarantees for travel throughout the national territory, but also favours direct investment in the sector and allows for more and better destinations in our country.

What specific measures are being implemented to promote sustainable and responsible tourism that protects ecosystems and ensures the benefit of local communities without compromising the country's natural resources?

Colombia has made progress in the implementation of its Sustainable Tourism Policy: United for Nature, which aims to strengthen the sustainability of the tourism value chain in Colombia, in order to improve its competitiveness, guarantee the conservation and responsible use of natural capital, and generate greater added value and differentiation for the country.

As a result, the current Tourism Sector Plan 2022-2026: Tourism in Harmony with Life defines strategies to promote environmental justice in the sector, as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies and the promotion of a circular economy. This strengthens tourism sustainability and positions tourism as an alternative for the transition of territories dependent on extractive and illicit economies.

In this regard, since 2022, progress has been made in establishing inter-ministerial working alliances, sectoral associations and other institutions. Colombia is currently part of the Global Initiative on Tourism and Plastics, led by UN Tourism. Actions related to the circular economy have been implemented in projects in destinations such as Leticia and Puerto Nariño in the Amazon region, as well as in San Andrés and Providencia. Colombia is also preparing to adhere to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. It is worth highlighting the development of the Circular Economy Criteria Guide applied to Tourism, which has been developed in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and WWF.

On the other hand, the Responsible Tourism Strategy seeks to position Colombia as a destination recognised for its good practices in the sector's value chain, promoting sustainable tourism that is respectful and committed to the territory and local communities.

To this end, it is based on three fundamental axes:

1. Promotion and prevention: Development of educational campaigns and activations to promote good practices and prevent problems and crimes in the context of travel and tourism. 

2. Training: Creation of training spaces and pedagogical tools that strengthen the tourism sector's competencies to identify good practices and prevent crimes that affect communities and ecosystems.

3. Articulation: Coordinated work with public and private entities to implement efficient and effective actions in favour of local communities and territories.

What actions is the government developing to promote community and rural tourism, and what programs exist to train and support communities in the management and marketing of their tourism products?

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism is developing multiple strategies and programs to strengthen these types and forms of tourism; however, I would like to highlight two in particular:

1. EMPRETUR: The first national program of incentives, incentives and promotion for the tourism sector of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, which aims to develop human capacity, productivity, innovation and sustainability of the tourism sector, through public calls, competitions and other strategies that allow the implementation of projects.  Through these calls we not only generate technical assistance to the communities, but also support them with basic supplies that allow them to effectively link to the tourism value chain. The program was launched in November 2023. Since its launch and to date there have been 8 calls for proposals that have impacted the 32 departments of the country, in 261 municipalities, benefiting 241 community-based organizations and 1817 productive units, including 180 tourist attractions and 140 professional tourist guides.

This offer can be viewed at the following link: https://convocatoriasturismo.mincit.gov.co 

2. The second major program is the Diploma in Sustainable Rural Tourism: This training program is face-to-face and immersive, it is developed in Quimbaya, Quindío and its objective is to train farmers so that they do not abandon the countryside or their agricultural activities, but on the contrary, to enhance their economy with tourism experiences around the activities developed in rural areas. During the Government of Change we have trained more than 2,000 leaders for rural tourism and in the coming months we will benefit 500 more people in the Colombian Pacific.

What role does innovation and digitalization play in the transformation of tourism and what technological initiatives is the Vice Ministry promoting to improve the visitor experience and the competitiveness of the sector?

Tourism in Colombia is at a decisive stage of evolution, driven by innovation, sustainability and digital transformation. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism has structured a comprehensive strategy for Innovation and Digital Transformation called Tourism 4.0, with the aim of modernizing the sector, diversifying its offer, improving the competitiveness of destinations and ensuring harmonious development with the territories and communities from 4 focuses of transformation at the public and private level. Some of the results of the strategy from the Vice Ministry have been:

1. First digital ecosystem of community tourism in the country.

With more than 300 beneficiaries throughout the national territory, a pioneering platform was consolidated that articulates entrepreneurship, local knowledge and digital tools, making community tourism offerings visible and promoting their access to markets.

2. Strengthening the local innovation ecosystem

Through programs such as INNOVAT360 and Traveltech Colombia 4.0, more than 3,000 tourism service providers (TSPs) have benefited from awareness-raising processes in innovation tools, digital transformation and business strengthening at the territorial level.

3. Open innovation challenges in alliance with UN Tourism and the insurance sector.

More than 600 applications were mobilized in innovation challenges with UN Tourism, accelerating 22 tourism ventures. Also, in partnership with 15 insurance companies, the UNDP and Fasecolda, customized insurance products were developed for small lodgings, promoting financial inclusion in the sector.

4. Design and Tourism Laboratory in 4 departments

A collaborative methodology was implemented for the design of tourism experiences and the construction of innovative narratives, which strengthens the sense of place and improves the value proposition of destinations in a regenerative key.

5. SENA ICT Program in alliance with ILO and MinTIC

Currently, more than 500 actors in the sector are being trained in digital skills and technological development, in a joint effort that prepares the sector to face the challenges of smart tourism and the digital economy.

Responsible Tourism Management and Risk Management

The National Police reinforces security at 10 international airports with more than 60 officers to combat child sexual exploitation. Migración Colombia will increase its personnel at the airports of Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena and Barranquilla to speed up immigration processes, and in Ipiales efforts will be doubled to reduce the time it takes for foreigners to enter the country. In addition, the Colombian Red Cross is implementing contingency plans for the winter season, and the Civil Defense is working in road corridors and bodies of water to attend to emergencies and carry out preventive monitoring.

These actions seek to generate confidence and security for inhabitants and tourists, promoting responsible tourism and guaranteeing the protection of communities and entrepreneurs in Colombia, the Country of Beauty.

What are the main tourism infrastructure projects being developed to improve connectivity and accessibility in the regions with the greatest tourism potential in the country?

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism has been executing an important tourism infrastructure project in agreement with COTECMAR (Science and Technology Corporation), for the supply and installation of 88 river piers in 81 municipalities of the country, covering the main tributaries and watersheds of the national territory, reaching the most remote destinations and tourist attractions of the national territory. 

Likewise, there are ongoing projects approved for the construction of 9 nautical docks in the Pacific and the Colombian Caribbean, as well as studies and designs for the construction of another dock in the department of Choco, thus favoring the connectivity of national and foreign tourists along the coasts of the Colombian coast.

How is it being ensured that the growth of tourism generates quality employment and contributes to the economic development of less favored regions without generating excessive dependence on tourism activity?

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism is working to ensure that the tourism development processes of the destinations do not move away from their traditional economic activities, so that “tourism” is a complementary economic activity and not the main one.  Additionally, we have made an effort to improve the conditions of our National Tourism Fund in order to reach non-traditional destinations with investment from the sector, but which are potential destinations for tourism activity.

Additionally, in order to guarantee an effective labor linkage of the actors in the tourism sector chain, we have led important efforts that seek, among other things:

• Strengthen the technical and human capacities of the human capital linked to the tourism sector. 

• To link historically excluded territories and actors in the development of tourism activities through the consolidation of governance spaces.

• Increase the competitiveness and productivity of the sector through the generation of incentives and stimuli.

• To professionalize the sector through the granting of scholarships.

• Develop a culture of quality associated with the development of tourism services.

What are the strategies to diversify the country's tourism offer and develop emerging destinations that can attract visitors without saturating the traditionally most crowded areas?

One of the main lines of action of the national government is the implementation of the national strategy of “Peace Destinations”: to strengthen non-traditional or emerging destinations and the business fabric of areas that were highly affected by the armed conflict, based on:

1. 121 prioritized municipalities in 18 sub-regions, including PDET municipalities, ZOMAC and 4 metropolitan areas, carrying out actions such as:

• • Consolidation of 80 experiences that highlight tourism for memory and for peace.

  • Consolidation of the tourist corridor “Comuna 20 de Cali” allowing to organize the tourist offer and design of experiences with more than 30 entrepreneurs in the area.

  • Intervention is currently underway to consolidate urban tourism experiences in La Ferro and Villa Santa Ana in Pereira, Commune 14 in Bucaramanga and soon in Bogotá, Ciudad Bolívar and the La Perseverancia neighborhood.

  • Strengthening of 30 governance schemes, mainly in the region of southern Meta, Guaviare, Serranía del Perijá, Caquetá and central Cauca, to consolidate and organize the sector's businesses.

2. Consolidation of the business fabric of these territories, particularly victims of the armed conflict, signatories of the final peace agreement and the population in the process of substituting illicit crops, participating in different events and scenarios that have made it possible to generate marketing and promotion actions for these destinations:

• • More than 150 entrepreneurs from these regions have participated in the tourism showcases of ANATO 2024 and 2025, at the Colombia Destinos de Paz stand, having the opportunity to promote and sell their regions.

  • In conjunction with ANATO, more than 25 small entrepreneurs and popular economy entrepreneurs per city are being trained in five destinations, Acandí, Florencia, Puerto Asís, Mesetas and San José de Guaviare, in the design of experiences, portfolio development and service quality. 

  • In addition, business rounds are being held in these same cities where more than 15 travel agencies from the main outbound destinations have the opportunity to learn first-hand about this offer of destinations. Acandí has already been the venue for this event and it will be held in the rest of the cities in the near future.

  • With the Colombia, Destinations of Peace seal, more than 555 entrepreneurs with goods and services from different regions of the country, with different narratives and life histories, a history of social and territorial transformation, are being promoted and made visible.

How do you envision the future of tourism in the country in the coming years and what are the main challenges and opportunities that will define its evolution in the medium and long term?

From the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism we visualize a promising future for the sector in Colombia. Our country, with its immense natural and cultural wealth, has all the potential to consolidate itself as one of the most attractive and sustainable destinations in Latin America.

In the coming years, we expect a progressive growth of both domestic and international tourism, leveraged by the diversification of the offer, the improvement of infrastructure, the strengthening of security and the positioning of Colombia as a sustainable tourist destination, where each experience reflects the cultural richness and the commitment to responsible tourism that promotes conservation and territorial development. We want the world to recognize Colombia not only for its unique landscapes, but also for its ability to transform tourism into a tool for reconciliation and progress for communities.

However, we also recognize the challenges. These include the need to improve connectivity in regions with high tourism potential, guarantee the environmental sustainability of destinations, and strengthen the training of human talent at all levels of the tourism value chain. In addition, we must continue working on the formalization of the sector and adaptation to climate change.

On the other hand, we see great opportunities. Community-based tourism, the promotion of rural and nature tourism, as well as the growth of segments such as ecotourism, cultural tourism and wellness tourism, represent a unique opportunity to generate inclusive economic development in the territories. Likewise, the growing global trend towards sustainable tourism positions us favorably if we continue to move in that direction.

Our commitment is to continue working hand in hand with all stakeholders in the sector -public, private and community- to build a more competitive and sustainable tourism that contributes decisively to the well-being of Colombians.

We at the Tourism and Society Think Tank would like to express our most sincere gratitude to Mr. Juan Manrique Camargo, Vice Minister of Tourism of Colombia, for his generous disposition and for sharing with us such an inspiring vision of the future of tourism in his country. His leadership, focused on sustainable development, inclusion and building a culture of peace, represents an exemplary guide for the entire Ibero-American region.

We deeply admire the cultural, natural and human wealth of Colombia, a country that embodies diversity and beauty in every corner of its geography. Its firm commitment to regenerative and transformative tourism confirms to us that the country is not only an extraordinary destination, but also a benchmark for innovation and social commitment in the field of tourism.

We reiterate our willingness to strengthen institutional cooperation ties with the Colombian Vice-Ministry of Tourism, convinced that working together can contribute significantly to strengthening the sector for the benefit of communities, the environment and the country's economy. Colombia can count on our support to continue advancing towards a more humane, fair and sustainable tourism.