Cartagena Opens New Center to Promote Responsible Tourism

In an effort to promote responsible tourism development in Cartagena’s historic center and surrounding areas, the iconic Colombian coastal city has opened a new tourism center.

Known as the Casa del Consumidor Turista, and newly opened in March, this hub will serve as a center for various stakeholders to provide information to tourists, promote fair trade, and protect vulnerable populations who may be negatively affected by tourism, among other services.

The new location grew out of the combined efforts from Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism (MinCIT), the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC), and the Cartagena Tourism Corporation (Corpoturismo), which chose March as the time to open in the lead-up to the high-traffic Semana Santa week in the largely Catholic nation.

The new initiative is “part of a comprehensive strategy to promote responsible tourism in the city, where visitors have access to quality experiences and local communities find pathways to dignify their work,” said Commerce Minister Germán Umaña Mendoz when announcing the initiative.

The Casa del Consumidor Turista, which is located on the first floor of the district mayor’s office within the historic Walled City, will also work toward similar goals carried out by Cartagena’s existing Visitor Service Centers and devote resources to help resolve disputes and infractions related to tourism.

Arturo Bravo, Colombia’s deputy minister of tourism, added that they will continue to work to “attract events that promote the city with ethical tourism and the protect the cultural and natural heritage.”

(Photo credit: MinCIT)