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The international wholesalers visited the departments of Boyaca and Huila prior to Colombia Travel Mart 2013. They look forward to sharing their experiences of the magical archeology tour through Colombia with their clients..
Four businesswomen from Canada, the United States and Switzerland took a Proexport-led fam trip to two Colombian destinations that have the best archaeological sites and which, thousand of years ago, were home to indigenous communities.
I'm really excited. I can't wait to get home and tell my clients about everything that I have learned here," said Gisela Polo, tour specialist for Big Five Tours & Expeditions. This American company has more than 35 years of experience in the international tourism market and promotes around 50 destinations around the world.
Colombia is included in this extensive list with cities such as Bogota, Cartagena and Medellin. However, Polo believes that Boyaca and Huila offer an important cultural component. She also believes that her trip through these regions will open a world of possibilities for her company as they seek to expand their current catalog with new products.
On the archaeological route through Boyaca the businesswomen discovered the cave paintings in Villa de Leyva and the Sun Temple in Sogamoso, both of which were the work of the Muiscas. They also visited the San Agustin Archaeological Park that showcases sculptures made by the indigenous community that inhabited Huila more than 2,000 years ago.
I didn't know that Colombia had so much to offer (in terms of archeology). This is new to me and I think it will be really interesting for our travelers," said Janine Schmocher, an advisor for Dorado Latin Tours, This Swiss wholesaler specializes in South America and mainly focuses on outdoor and cultural tourism products.
For Ms. Schmocher it has been a "wonderful opportunity" to see other aspects of this country and thus diversify their travel program which also includes the Coffee Cultural Landscape. "I hope to not only come back, but to send many tourists here," added the Swiss representative who was visiting Colombia for the first time.
Our aim with these fam trips, which so far have welcomed 282 foreign entrepreneurs, is for them to gain unique first-hand experiences of Colombia and then share them with their clients," said PROCOLOMBIA president Maria Claudia Lacouture.
That is exactly what happened. After the visit, Patricia Perez, director of Canandes International Tours, intends to, in addition to promoting this tour among her target audience (Canadian adults with professional studies and a high purchasing power), educate her business partners.
I would like to give lectures about these destinations. (In order) to teach people, this is how other areas in the world promote their archaeological sites. We can also advertise this product to people here because it really is unique," concluded Perez. To carry out her work, Perez has visited the most important indigenous cultural remains on the American continent.
The wholesalers will participate in Colombia's most important tourism conference, which will take place between February 28 and March 1, during which, around 5,300 business meetings will be held.
