Colombia Certifies 6 New Towns As Sustainable Tourism Destinations
In an effort to protect its cultural and environmental resources, the Colombian government has been working with tourist destinations to establish rules and protocols, slowly certifying more and more locations for eco-friendly tourism.
Updated May 22 2019, 10:23 a.m. ET
Colombia is a gorgeous country that has been working more and more on building its tourism industry. Specifically, according to Colombia Reports, Trade Minister Maria Lorena Gutierrez has been working with smaller towns and villages who are seeking certification for "sustainable tourism." The travel board believes that certification will help tourists and communities connect in positive ways, that also have less potential negative impact on the environment.
Gutierrez says the certification process is intended to “generate wealth, productivity and opportunities for all, while environmentally, economically and socially sound.” There were six towns with this official certification, but this week, the number doubled. There are now twelve new destinations on the list.
Amongst them are Santa Rosa de Cabal, a rural area known for its gorgeous hot springs and rolling countryside:
Jericó in Antioquia is more of a town center, a beautifully vibrant area with colorful buildings and a main plaza featuring a giant cathedral, Catedral Virgen de las Mercedes.
Pijao is another colorful village, again one that features a main square filled with vegetation. All the towns in the Quindío area seem to have fantastic views of the mountain ranges around them, as well as local valleys filled with green.
That includes the last name recently added to the certification list, Salento, also in Quindío.
Like the other towns, Salento wants to invite visitors who respect the local culture as well as the natural beauty of the countryside. And for travelers who want some assurance that they can visit a new place without leaving a drastic footprint on the environment, it's a welcomed relief to know that the municipality is committed to sustainable practices. Because this is definitely a part of the world that needs to be seen.
