New Safety Certifications Required For Adventure Tourism in Colombia

Tourism service providers that operate adventure tourism activities must have an ‘outstanding’ level certification in technical standards related to safety, per the provisions of Resolution 0612 of May 16, 2024, issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism -MinCIT-, which granted 12 months for operators to comply with this requirement. From the publication in the Official Gazette, which became effective on June 11 of the same year.

Adventure tourism service providers must comply with 100% of the requirements of the applicable technical standard to prevent accidents and protect the integrity of tourists, the community in the area, and guides.

This resolution, which regulated Article 12 of Law 2068 of 2020, defined the levels of tourism quality to ensure that service providers, destinations, and tourist attractions comply with quality, sustainability, and safety standards, to prevent accidents and protect the integrity of tourists, the community of the area, and guides.

During this period, the MinCIT has socialized the content of the resolution in 26 specific conferences in municipalities such as Mesetas, Guaduas, Santa Marta, Apía, Pereira, Buenaventura, Cali, Puerto Carreño and Guadalajara de Buga, among others, with more than 2,000 participants; and in scenarios such as technical assistance days on tourism quality, safety committees, National Tourism Quality Week, among other events, held since August 2024, reaching another 1,667 people.

Service providers should be aware that:

•  They must comply with technical safety standards at an outstanding level, which means meeting 100% of the requirements of the applicable technical standard.
• The certification must be granted by a Conformity Assessment Body (OEC), accredited by the National Accreditation Body of Colombia (ONAC). The OECs can be consulted in https://onac.org.co/directorio-de-acreditados/
• The mayors’ offices and territorial entities will supervise compliance and apply the sanctions established in Article 72 of Law 300 of 1996, which even contemplates the possibility of cancellation of the National Tourism Registry (RNT) for up to 5 years, depending on the seriousness of the offense.
• They must consult with the territorial entities on the mechanisms for notifying them of compliance with this requirement.
• They must include in their advertising that their activities are certified.
• This certification is not just a formality; it is a commitment to life so that adventure tourism is synonymous with excellence and prevention, and we continue to consolidate Colombia as The Country of Beauty.

Photo credit: MINCIT.