Tourism is key

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You can almost hear the clunking shudder of collective cerebral efforts being kicked into action echoing out from the upper floors of the Edificio Bancafe from the offices of Procolombia as their team of eager publicists prepare for the annual ANATO tourism fair at the end of February.
Ipads will be polished, teeth whitened, suits pressed, glossy flyers printed and an emphasis will once again be placed on the shiniest most positive aspects of this, the 2nd happiest country in the world.

And, as is the norm as the owner of a small hotel, all of my attention will also be directed towards ANATO. This is my time to pitch to agencies, promote Mompós and Colombia and sell my adopted homeland as a destination par excellence to the international market. For seven years I have been emphatically peddling the colloquial and quaint benefits of travel to Mompós and the region. This is my time to put on a tie and shine my shoes rather than exposing my true daily garb to the world which leaves me resembling a cross between Basil Fawlty and an aged and angry tobacconist.

President Santos will no doubt make his inveterate appearance at the opening ceremony displaying the countenance of a man who has soiled his trousers with no one noticing. He’ll show some concern, but overall it will be an expression of tremendous relief at having got away with it. We’ll hear his impassioned narrative about the some 1850 species of bird found in Colombia and we’ll listen intently to the posturing declarations that Colombia possesses two coastlines. We’ll hang on to his every word, rapt as if discovering for the first time the news that Medellin is indeed a city of innovation and that an eventual peace agreement will increase tourism, investment and social change. It’s about a Colombia of peace and a Colombia of economic growth the President will say.

And these words will be as redundant as those statements uttered by the Bogotá government when boasting about the amount of bicycle lanes within the capital. All in all it’s almost like weighing in with the argument and suggestion that there’s more paint in a warehouse in Ibague than used on ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It’s empty and irrelevant.

And once ANATO is over, the stalls are packed up and the bins are cleared of the stacks of superfluous publicity produced for these events and life returns to normal we’ll be able to reflect on the President’s words, promises and hopes for the future.

Forgive me for raining on Colombia’s parade. 2014 was a red letter year for the country in terms of a record haul of tourists to these shores, things are all moving in the right direction, and certainly it really does look like there will be some sort of peace accord signed in 2015 with the FARC. But, in my opinion, all of these successes are short-lived and amount to nothing if you do not know how to harness them for the long-term.

Having listened to some of the president’s speeches in recent months, there’s no doubt that he will wheel out a version of his already well-rehearsed tune. Peace in Colombia will lead to economic growth and this will convert into increased tourism according to President Santos. And he’s not wrong.

But it has to be said that success is not just about economic growth; it’s about the type of economic growth. No government has taxed its way to success and yet, we in the tourism industry are perhaps most under the cosh from this easy money ticket for the Santos government. It’s as if they are almost deliberately overlooking our years of plight in this game.

Tourism in Colombia has been up against arguably the most challenging duels possible, a long-running conflict coupled with the ills of the seemingly indelible stain of a reputation for kidnapping and cocaine, and then in recent years a revalued peso against the dollar.

For so long our peso has hindered the cost of travel both for domestic and international tourists that we have seen cheaper airline tickets to destinations such as Brazil and parts of the U.S., than for the 75 minute flight (with favorable winds) from Bogotá to Cartagena. So, can we be permitted a brief respite to enjoy and harness this moment when our visitors feel that finally a trip to or within Colombia represents value for money? Taxes are needed to pay for the peace dialogues and the post conflict: this is undeniable, but rather than taxing the industry that is most set to increase to within a pesito of its existence – and I am speaking on behalf of all small operators, small business owners and those employing the most needy in isolated areas – perhaps taxes could be collected from those who are evading, rather than levying further clandestine charges upon us?

Economic success and lasting peace will come about when there exists a cadre of healthy industries, including – yet not exclusive to tourism – that are nurtured and in a position to provide gainful employment to thousands of people soon to be unemployed when they hand over their weapons and demobilize. Tourism is key, President Santos.

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