After the creation of the Colombian Convention & Visitors Bureaux Network in 2020 – comprising the cities of Barranquilla, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Ibagué, Manizales, Medellín, Pereira, Quindío and Santa Marta – Colombia is taking a step further with different reactivation and promotion strategies.
The Colombian meetings industry is indeed beginning to show important signs of reactivation thanks to the strategy implemented by Colombia´s international promotion agency: “We have taken advantage of this opportunity to prepare ourselves and be ready to receive world-class events. We will be hosting the ICCA World Congress, ALTA and Fiexpo in 2021, showing that we are on the right track, and that, with the implementation of strict biosafety protocols, we are moving forward towards the reactivation of MICE tourism, that impacts our economy in a very positive way”, said Flavia Santoro, President of ProColombia, the government’s agency in charge of promoting investment, exports, tourism and the country brand.
Among the initiatives and strategies that have been established, is the launching of the Colombian Convention & Visitors Bureaux Network’s website, which has been designed as a communication and promotion platform for potential clients seeking destinations for hosting domestic or international events.
According to Liliana Orbegozo, executive director of the Greater Bogota Convention Bureau and leader of the Network’s promotion strategy, “From the Greater Bogota Convention Bureau we have led the promotion of the Network and, thanks to a combined effort, last year we won one of ProColombia’s national tourism awards. With the resources from the award, we designed a promotional strategy, based on the creation of a unique virtual tool, in which the 11 bureaux are positioning and promoting our cities as MICE destinations worldwide, accompanied by the campaign #HostYourEventInColombia. The website has several sections with relevant information for our audiences and, above all, with a blog that we want to position as a reference for consultation and interaction of the meetings and events industry at a regional and, why not, global level”.