Laura Marin, Sales Manager Canada,
Copa Airlines & Maria Guzmán,
Tourism Specialist, Proexport
Edwin Ching of Tour East, Adelino Sales of Latin World Tours & Gonzalo Moreno of Moreno Travel
Rosa Cabral of Martour, Andina Travel's Julio Valencia & Estefany Francovich, with Jason du Sautoy of Flight Centre Group
G Adventures' Laurie Gaughan &
Tracy Sheppard
Indus Travels' Harish Shroff &
Vision 2000's Rajiv Calpakam
If there was a boxing match where reality took on perception, perception may have had the upper hand when it came to the myths of tourism and travelling to Colombia. But standing in reality’s corner, the Colombian Government Trade Commission is on the defense and these “perceptions” are now in danger of a TKO.
50 travel trade partners had ringside seats at a recent luncheon that Proexport, The Colombian Government Trade Commission, co-hosted along with Copa Airlines. Maria Guzmán, Tourism Specialist of Proexport, didn’t mention what the perceptions surrounding Colombia were. Instead, she presented the realities and truths behind the destination and highlighted the country’s must-see cities and regions. “There’s a gap between reality and perception,” said Guzmán. “Let’s clear up the reality of Colombia.”
Reality #1: Colombia is very close to Canada. It takes just 5h 20min to get from YYZ to BOG non-stop with Air Canada. But if you’re planning a trip to Colombia, you may also want to consider flying with Copa Airlines. Copa flies to 11 destinations within Colombia. With an average connection time of 1 hour, Copa flights connect through PTY where they offer a free stopover! Travel agents can also benefit from Copa’s Latin World Fare program, which allows agents to travel at a discounted rate.
Reality #2: Colombia is safe. More recently, consumer media has dispelled the belief that Colombia is still a dangerous destination. Proexport shared this article, published in Matador Notebook, as an example.
Reality #3: Colombia is a world class destination. The country has been recognized by many organizations, including the WTO, TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet, as a top vacation spot.
Spreading awareness around these 3 points, perception looks like it’s down for the count and reality takes possession of the championship belt. Colombia is back on the tourist map and Proexport is encouraging Canadians to visit the geographically diverse and beautiful destination.
