Tourism in Cundinamarca has potential

Grandparents speak of regional traditions, the products that were produced in the municipalities near Girardot and taken to other distant lands along the Magdalena River. There are also stories of travelers who visited the lands of Cundinamarca and Tolima, but it is important that these benefits and advantages become value propositions when promoting the department in the tourism sector, and this is achieved not only by knowing the routes but also by carrying out tourism inventories.

According to Ángela María Ricaurte, a professor at UCundinamarca, it is necessary to identify routes, landscapes, traditions, food, and all the richness that can be offered, and package this into something called: Tourism Promotion.

“For example, it is important to talk about historical and cultural tourism in Girardot and its area of influence, because we must rescue it and take full advantage of it by activating the sector,” Ricaute added.

“Years ago, the coffee farms of Viotá – Cundinamarca, known as the coffee-producing region before the formation of the coffee axis, were also remembered. They also recall the textiles and pottery produced in La Chamba, a village in Guamo – Tolima, and many other products that arrived in Girardot to be transported by the Magdalena River to other cities and countries.” These stories must be rescued and documented.

Municipalities such as Girardot, Apulo, Ricaurte, Fusagasugá, Villeta, and Melgar, among others, are part of a region with great tourism potential. “However, many of these municipalities lack a well-organized and consciously compiled inventory of tourist attractions to further develop this sector.”

Tourism inventories

The teacher asserts that it is the responsibility of academia to provide the tools for future tourism professionals in Colombia to carry out tourism inventories.

This tourism planning input for public-private sector decision-making at the regional and national levels generates a useful tool, shared throughout the country with a view to diversifying and consolidating competitive products.

“The professional and their team must conduct an objective evaluation (qualitative and quantitative) of the attractions and prioritize those suitable for immediate tourist use or establish actions. Then, they are recorded, ordered, and rated from 1 to 100 with their respective photographic record,” Ricaute pointed out.

More news from the Girardot branch at the News Agency