Before I continue let me state that these aren’t truckers who stage blockades at international border crossings or besiege capitals with an anti-vax narrative. The truck drivers who took Manhattan on Wednesday hail from New York boroughs, and part of a patriotic manifestation to promote Colombia’s landscapes and cultural wonders, projecting on the sides of their haulers, images from Disney’s Encanto movie. Pedestrians in midtown passed by these glowing trucks and took pictures, sharing their posts on social media with the hashtag: #WishingToBeInColombia.
“Colombia has unparalleled wealth regarding biodiversity and culture, and a strong commitment to sustainability and meaningful travel that can be experienced in any of our six touristic regions,” said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia. Among the objectives to showcase Colombia as a welcoming country is also to promote the country as one of “meaningful experiences and conscious destinations.”
As six trucks rolled from Columbus Circle to Wall Street, passing many of Manhattan’s popular landmarks, including Times Square, Penn Station, The Vessel, Union Square and World Trade Center, the large format screens scrolled with the blockbuster film’s references to Colombian gastronomy, music, folklore and, of course, natural settings.
This initiative by ProColombia joins other promotional events taking place inside Colombia’s main airports, where inbound travelers will see an oversized welcome message and get a symbolic stamp when going through passport control, that tells them they are arrived in the “most welcoming place on earth,” and (you guessed it), the land of Encanto.
