Via her function as president of ProColombia, Flavia Santoro Trujillo is dedicated to selling tourism and international direct funding within the nation, in addition to strengthening worldwide ties that carry the South American vacation spot nearer to new enterprise alternatives.
Because the nation seeks to remerge from the coronavirus pandemic, Trujillo right here explains to Breaking Journey Information editor Chris O’Toole what measures are being put in place to maintain guests protected as they return.
Breaking Journey Information: The place does Colombia stand in regard to reopening submit Covid-19, forward of a proposed relaunch on the finish of August? Latin America has turn out to be the worldwide epicentre of the outbreak in current days – does this pose a renewed menace to the tourism sector?
Flavia Santoro Trujillo: The Colombian authorities has enacted a swift response to Covid-19 and has stored the toll of an infection and demise comparatively low in comparison with different Latin American nations.
The nation has one of many lowest charges of an infection and deaths per million inhabitants, as in comparison with international locations in Europe and Latin America.
Our nation took early isolation measures, which allowed us to strengthen the well being system capacities by rising ICUs and shopping for emergency provides and medical tools.
The social distancing applied all through the nation was additionally key in slowing the virus an infection fee.
Nonetheless, these measures that goal to save lots of lives, have additionally had an excellent influence in our economic system.
The federal government has applied reduction initiatives to help companies from totally different sectors, which embody tax waivers, payroll cost help and forbearance on social safety obligations.
Along with this, the federal government has prolonged strains of credit score by authorities managed monetary establishments and has decreased rates of interest.
Colombia has tried to discover a stability between sufficient distancing and financial exercise by conserving open sectors that had been essential for the economic system and our provide chain, together with meals, agriculture, monetary and important providers.
Building and a few manufacturing sectors have already resumed actions and within the coming weeks, with the correct protocols, a wider portion of the economic system will reopen.
We’re assured concerning the future. We consider that these measures that we’ve taken to face the pandemic, will assist Colombia recuperate its financial and social progress path as soon as this has handed.
In abstract, we sit up for receiving worldwide passengers as soon as extra and the objective of tourism reopening, beginning with worldwide flights resuming on September 1st.
BTN: There are some inexperienced shoots of restoration – with Air Canada confirmed as the primary worldwide service to announce its return to Bogotá’s El Dorado airport in September. How lengthy do you envisage a full restoration from the pandemic will take?
FST: It’s too early to say when tourism will absolutely recuperate nevertheless, Colombia is working in direction of this objective and worldwide flights will resume on September 1st.
At the moment, disembarkation is simply allowed within the occasion of a humanitarian emergency, fortuitous occasions, and air cargo operations.
We sit up for receiving worldwide passengers as soon as extra at our airports and to our nation, from September 1st.
We’re very completely happy to welcome Air Canada again to El Dorado airport and different airways that may observe.
BTN: How will the monetary difficulties, and potential chapter, of flag-carrier Avianca influence on tourism in Colombia?
FST: Latin American airways are going by a fancy scenario, not dissimilar from what is occurring in different components of the world.
Within the case of the 2 major operators within the area, Avianca and LATAM, they’re each present process a technique of debt reorganisation, having filed for chapter 11 chapter safety in the USA.
The Colombian authorities is making nice efforts to leverage the sustainability of airline connections and operators by totally different measures, together with extra versatile regulation, larger liquidity with credit and the postponement of tax deadlines, in addition to import of inputs for upkeep with zero tariffs and the promotion of air cargo providers.
The federal government continues to guage options to help the aviation trade, as connectivity is likely one of the keys of the financial restoration.
BTN: Colombia has turn out to be the primary nation in Latin America with a tourism biosecurity stamp – supported by the World Tourism Organisation – what are you able to inform us about that?
FST: We’re targeted on regaining the worldwide traveller’s belief of their potential to soundly go to and journey inside Colombia.
In assist of this goal, the Colombian Authorities has created the Tourism Biosecurity Certification.
Colombia, with the assist of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), is formally the primary nation in Latin America with the sort of certification.
The Tourism Biosecurity Seal, created by the ministry of commerce, trade, and tourism, with the assist of ProColombia, goals to generate belief amongst travellers, minimising the danger of viral an infection and inspiring tourism all through the nation.
The certification, legitimate for 2 years, is voluntary and could also be utilized by tourism associated providers suppliers, vacationer areas, and vacationer sights with the intention to certify compliance with biosafety protocols.
BTN: At a time when many vacation spot administration firms are pausing worldwide promotional exercise throughout Covid-19, ProColombia is choosing up its efforts – what are the ambitions right here?
FST: We’re satisfied the tourism trade has immense resiliency and that it’ll play an important function within the restoration of Colombia and the worldwide economic system.
We now have used this time of isolation to arrange ourselves for when tourism actions resume.
At ProColombia we’ve been engaged on a restoration plan focusing our efforts on three following priorities.
The primary is adapting to alter.
Our authorities has supplied instruments to assist journey sector firms preserve their companies by refocusing and residing methods, in addition to redesigning merchandise and experiences in keeping with new varieties of shoppers and modifications in market behaviour.
We should additionally facilitate air transport connectivity.
We now have decreased gross sales tax on tickets which have origin or vacation spot to Colombia, relevant to airways till December 2021, and we’ve begun to reopen worldwide flights.
Lastly, we’re working to bolster the worldwide traveller’s belief of their potential to soundly go to and journey inside Colombia.
ProColombia created and launched a multi-channel marketing campaign in March with the message ‘We´ll meet quickly’, to remain entrance of thoughts with travellers world wide.
It has reached 12 worldwide markets and generated 21.three million impressions.
BTN: The post-Covid-19 traveller is predicted to put a renewed emphasis on hygiene – what measures is Colombia setting up to make sure the well being and security of tourists?
FST: As we mentioned earlier than, we’re the primary nation in Latin America to create the Tourism Biosecurity Certification, with the assist of the UNWTO.
As well as, the ministry of transport, the ministry of well being and social safety of Colombia with the assist of the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (IATA), amongst different organisations, are engaged on new safety protocols for all Colombian airports.
For instance, El Dorado Airport in Bogotá will probably be implementing new measures resembling thermal cameras, transportable sinks, sanitising stations at numerous places all through the airport, in addition to digital immigration procedures.
Extra Data
Discover out extra about visiting Colombia – when the time is correct – on the official website.
