Tourism Continues to Increase in Colombia

More foreign travelers visited Colombia in the first quarter of 2009 than in the same period IN 2008, the country's Trade Minister announced.

According to Minister Luis Guillermo Plata, 436,833 foreigners entered the country in the first three months of the year, which is a 14.4 percent rise compared to 2008.

Almost a quarter of the tourists entered Colombia on board one of the cruise ships attending the Caribbean coast of the country.

The country's growing tourism industry now is the country's third biggest export product after coal and oil.

Vamos Colombia Tour Attends IGLTA Conference in Toronto

This year's annual conference of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) was held in Toronto, Canada. Walter Rey and Vamos Colombia Tour, LLC, took part, learning a lot, making great professional connections, and helping to education the traveling community about Colombia and all it has to offer. We look forward to working with many of the individual and companies who are fellow IGLTA members.

Check us out on Facebook as well

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=2530210&id=665927812

Bogota: "Great Destination (bad reputation)" says Conde Nast Traveler Magazine

Bogota featured in Conde Nast Traveler Magazine as a "Great Destination" with a bad (and not longer deserved) reputation.

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/500609









Check out some of the quotes:

"This walkable metropolis of seven million is once again reclaiming its role as Latin America's intellectual and cultural hub"

"Bogotá is rapidly emerging as one of Latin America's hottest destinations. The city boasts one of the world's biggest theater festivals every other spring (festivaldeteatro.com.co); a free massive open-air rock concert series each November (rockalparque.gov.co); and a jazz festival every September (teatrolibre.com/jazz_home.html). There are more than 50 museums in the city, with exhibitions ranging from pre-Columbian artifacts in the Gold Museum (Calle 16 No. 5-41; 57-1-343-2221) to Fernando Botero's corpulent contemporary take on the human body at the Botero Museum (Calle 11 No. 4-41; 57-1-343-1331)."

"The best of the Sunday flea markets are in the trendy Usaquén area, where antiques, fine leather goods, and wood carvings are readily available on the street and in the many boutiques along the edges of the market."

The same edition also lists Armando Records in Bogota as on the 35 top new bars and clubs of the world. It is an open air roof top lounge with a line down the street to get in.

Safety in Bogota Continues to Grow and be Recognized

The word is getting out about Colombia and its increased (and increasing) safety. Check out this recent article from a journalist living in Colombia who had detailed information about safety there.

http://www.latinworld.com/2009/safety-in-colombia-the-straight-truth.htm

He discusses Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, Cali, Leticia and other locations.

Video of Ciclovia in Bogota

Every Sunday, the major roads in Bogota are closed to traffic to allow bicycles, walkers or other non-car transportation alternatives to have space to move. This 10 min videos shows what a fun and safe time it is.

Ciclovia - Bogota's Pride - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Another Guest Review of Vamos Colombia Tour with Walter (English/Espanol)

Walter and Vamos Colombia Tour take pride in our close relationships with our customers, who we consider to be friends. It is therefore with great pride that we are able to share with you the warm feedback we have received from those friends after traveling with us to Colombia.
Phil Allison, a long time traveler to South America recently returned from his first trip to Colombia with us, including Bogota, Cartagena and Tayrona Park/Santa Marta. He is already making plans to return. He allows us to share his thoughts with you:

From the thriving Gay scene in Bogota to meeting local gays elsewhere in Colombia, Walter introduced me to many people.

The Caribbean Coast trip was wonderful. I really felt connected and explored a lot. I encountered no safety issues whatsoever, [any past fear has] all changed.
The highlights of this great trip were connecting with Walter's friends and family. I have traveled throughout Central & South America. I never felt more welcome anywhere than in Colombia.

Español:

Walter y Vamos Colombia Tour estamos orgullosos de nuestra relación con nuestros invitados, a los cuales consideramos como amigos. Por lo tanto, es con gran orgullo que compartimos con ustedes los comentarios que hemos recibido de nuestros amigos después de viajar con nosotros a Colombia. Phil, Felipe un viajero de North América que acaba de regresar de su primer viaje a Colombia con nosotros, incluyendo Bogotá, Cartagena y Parque Tayrona / Santa Marta. Él ya está haciendo planes para regresar. Con su permiso, publicamos lo que el dijo:

Desde la floreciente escena Gay en Bogotá hasta una reunión de los muchachos locales gays y otras partes de Colombia, Walter me presentó a muchas personas. 

El viaje a La Costa Caribe  fue maravilloso. Realmente me sentí conectado y pude explorar mucho. Yo no encontre ningun problemas de seguridad para nada, [cualquier temor del pasado] esto ha cambiado completamente. 

Los aspectos más destacados de este gran viaje se conectan con los amigos de Walter y su familia. 

He viajado por todo Centro y Suramérica y nunca me sentí tan bienvenido en ningun lugar  como lo fue en Colombia.

Bogota Colombia featured in OUT magazine (English/Espanol)

OUT magazine has recently featured Bogota Colombia for its fast growing gay scene. It notes that Bogota is considered the "Athens of South America" due to its museums and cultural institutions. Fine dining, hip bars and a thriving gay nightlife now complement the scene.

http://www.out.com/detail.asp?id=24935

Vamos Colombia Tour specializes in gay tours and travel to Bogota and all of Colombia. In fact, the next trip includes Bogota Gay Pride in June. Check out our website
http://www.vamoscolombiatour.com/tours.htm



La revista OUT ha mencionado recientemente a Bogotá Colombia por su rápido crecimiento en el ambiente gay. Menciona que Bogotá es considerada como la "Atenas de América del Sur" debido a sus museos e instituciones culturales. Restaurantes, chic bares  y una grande vida nocturna gay.

http://www.out.com/detail.asp?id=24935

Vamos Colombia Tour se especializa en paseos para la comunidad lebiana, Bi, Tg y gays que quieren viajar a Bogotá y toda Colombia. De hecho, el próximo viaje incluye Bogotá Gay Pride en junio. Visita nuestra pagina web.

http://www.vamoscolombiatour.com/tours.htm

Trip to Machu Picchu and Gay Pride Bogota (English/Español )

Check out our latest offering to Colombia and Peru. Vamos Colombia Tour is offering a trip featuring Machu Picchu, Cuzco, and Lima in Peru as well as Cartagena and Bogota for its Gay Pride Parade in June.

The details are included on our website, and more information will be coming very soon. The dates are June 18 to July 1, 2009. Contact Walter or Vamos Colombia Tour, LLC, for more information.

www.vamoscolombiatour.com

Machu Picchu is the famed "Lost City of the Incas" which was recently voted one of the seven modern Wonders of the World.

Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring beautifully restored colonial buildings, white sand beaches on the nearby Rosario Islands and a sizable gay nightlife.

Bogota Gay Pride is a parade on the city's main thoroughfare, from the gay Chapinero neighborhood to the downtown/Candelaria. Colombian Drag Queen "Celia Queen" (not to be confused with the late great Celia Cruz) is pictured here and the video gives a peak of her performance.


Español :

Nuestro nuevo viaje a  Colombia y Perú. Vamos Colombia Tour ofrece un viaje a Machu Picchu, Cuzco y Lima en el Perú, así como Cartagena y Bogotá para su desfile Gay en junio.

Los detalles están incluidos en nuestro sitio web, para más información. Las fechas son 18 de junio al 1 de julio de 2009. Contactenos a Walter o Colombia Vamos Tour, LLC, para más información.
Machu Picchu es la famosa "Ciudad Perdida de los Incas" que fue recientemente elegida una de las siete maravillas del mundo moderno.

Cartagena es un sitio del Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO ha sido bellamente restaurado sus  edificios coloniales, playas de arena blanca cerca de la Islas del Rosario y la vida nocturna gay.

Bogotá Gay Pride es un desfile en la principal arteria de la ciudad, desde el paque Nacional hasta la Plaza de Bolivar en el centro de la ciudad / Candelaria.

La transformista Reina de Colombia "Celia la Reina" (que no debe confundirse con el gran Celia Cruz)  en la foto y el video le dan ese sabor Colombiano a este destino. 

Colombia A Top Environmentally Clean Country

A new study places Colombia as the world's ninth cleanest and environmentally friendly country. The country index was made by Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network and Yale University's Center for Environmental Law and Policy.

The several hundred page report can be found at http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/es/epi/papers/2008EPI_mainreport_july08.pdf Colombia is detailed on page 189.

Forbes magazine commented that the country's coffee and flower industries are being managed wisely and that the countryside remains undeveloped in contrast to the rapidly declining rainforest in Brazil. Forbes article is on line at http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/15/worlds-cleanest-countries-business-energy-clean-countries.html

Colombia places second cleanest of all the countries in the Americas on the Environmental Performance Index, following Costa Rica. The United States is in position 39 and Canada is at 12.

For just the ranking, check out http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/es/epi/papers/2008EPI_rankingsandscores_23Jan08.pdf

Colombia is certainly a prime destination for "green" or environmental travel and tourism. It offers many delights for the environmentally minded, including the Coffee Region, Tayrona Park and the pristine San Andres and Providencia islands in the Caribbean, all of which are very safe and very easy to access. Vamos Colombia Tour will be happy to create a travel package featuring these beautiful and unspoiled areas.

www.vamoscolombiatour.com

Review by Recent Guest of Walter and Vamos Colombia Tours

Walter Rey, owner and operator of Vamos Colombia Tours, (not pictured here) recently was able to share 1.5 days in Bogota, Colombia, with a visiting guest from the U.S., and then assisted him in arranging for a tour guide in Cartagena as well. Walter's guest, an experienced traveler, had a wonderful time and shared these wonderful words:






I am a season traveler and have been to over 80 countries around the world. My recent trip to Colombia is one of my all time favorites. Although Colombia has had a bad reputation in the past, the crime rate has dropped significantly in the last few years and I felt perfectly safe everywhere I went.

Thanks to Walter Rey and his company Vamos Colombia Tours I visited Bogota very efficiently, hitting all the major sights and two museums, plus I took an excursion to Zipaquira and the Salt Cathedral, all in two days. Walter is very knowledgeable about local culture and history, being Colombian himself. Plus after living in the USA for more than 20 years he knows exactly what American tourists expect and like. He is a charming and easy going person and I thoroughly enjoyed his company while I was in Bogota.

Bogota is a nice metropolis, with beautiful colonial architecture in the center and trendy modern suburbs. The Gold Museum has a spectacular collection of precolombian artifacts. The museum has been recently renovated and whoever designed the exhibit and displays was a genius. A must see! The Botero Museum is also very interesting. The hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs in Bogota are excellent and the night life is very diverse and interesting. Walter is a great source of information about all the details and he generously offers his help with any requests and demands one might have.

I also visited Cartagena de Indias, one of the most beautiful and enchanting cities I have ever seen. Walter arranged a city tour for me with an excellent local guide. Again, thanks to him, I learned a lot about local history and culture. Cartagena is the best kept secret of the Caribbean and Latin America and I highly recommend it as a destination.


Dr. Slobodan Miseljic
Boston, USA

Thanks Slobodan, for allowing us to share your impressions!

For information about the new Gold Museum in Bogota, check out its website (in English):
http://www.banrep.gov.co/museo/eng/home.htm

and of course, the Vamos Colombia Tour website.