On January 28, the winners of the seventh version of the Creative Tourism Awards 2020 were announced, awards given in different categories to the best creative tourism bets in the world.
For this version, Bogotá was nominated in the category "Best Creative Experience" with the strategy "Ghosts of La Candelaria", which was developed by the District Tourism Institute (IDT) in conjunction with professional tour guides, travel agencies, associations such as Anato, the local Mayor's Office of La Candelaria and gastronomic establishments in this locality in order to promote the reopening of tourist tours in the city.
This initiative was selected among 184 proposals from 37 countries around the world, the main criterion was the use of creativity to design unique experiences and create an ecosystem in the local atmosphere. The strategy led by the IDT and supported by representatives of the sector, was part of one of the five categories of these awards presented by the Creative Tourism Network, in Barcelona, Spain.
The jury, composed of international experts in tourism marketing and creative economy, highlighted the creativity of the IDT and its allies to transform the renowned historic center of La Candelaria into a creative experience, which directly benefited the economic recovery and social cohesion in a year of crisis.
He also praised the excellence in the design of this project, which highlights the value of tangible and intangible heritage in a context of pandemic, through a joint strategy developed between the public and private sectors and the community.
"If we have learned anything in these times of crisis, it is that the proposals for the reactivation of our sector are more forceful when we work as a team. Los Fantasmas de La Candelaria was a great example of the power of creativity and articulation for the development of new city offerings. This, based on a responsible, progressive and biosecure work, allowed us to show a different Historic Center for our visitors and citizens, which generated employment, economic spillover and a lot of expectation to visit it.
From the IDT and together with other public and private actors and the community, we will continue exploring and rescuing these values of our city, which awaken the interest of those who visit it", explained Karol Fajardo Mariño, director of the IDT.
The project managed to sell 166 tourist packages with the assistance of more than 1,800 citizens and tourists. This allowed 63 professional tour guides and 64 travel agency collaborators to be directly employed, more than 30 gastronomic establishments to be linked to the packages and an indirect economic spillover to other establishments to be generated.
