'Route de la Cumbia' a commitment to cultural tourism in the country

The Government of Colombia launched from the municipality of San Jacinto, Bolívar, the 'Cumbia and Caribbean Musics' Route, a tour of 23 municipalities in seven departments that seeks to promote economic reactivation through the exaltation of identity and the promotion of cultural tourism.

This journey, which is led by the Ministries of Culture, Trade, Industry and Tourism and the National Tourism Fund of the Republic of Colombia (Fontur), is made up of 1,300 kilometers of the Colombian Caribbean with indigenous rhythms, cultural heritage and the identity of a people nourished by diversity.

“If we are convinced of anything, it is that the greatest potential for tourism that our country can have is in the recognition of culture and its cultural heritage. For this reason, we launched the Cumbia Route, a tool to promote cultural tourism, strengthen the capacities of tourism and cultural service providers, with the aim of allowing more nationals and foreigners to visit the municipalities of the Colombian Caribbean and the festivities of traditional music in the regions of the country”, said the Minister of Culture, Angelica Mayolo.

The departments that are part of this initiative are Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, Córdoba, La Guajira, Magdalena and Sucre, which seek to enhance cultural heritage, boost tourist activity and promote employment generation through tourist infrastructure for this region and thus promote the increase in the flow of visitors.

At the same time, it seeks to recognize the work of great artists and representatives of national folklore such as Lucho Bermudez, Toto la Momposina, Pabla Flores, Adriana Lucia, La niña Emilia, Catalino Parra, Juan Chuchita, Nacho Paredes, Esther Forero, Petrona Martínez, Carmen Pernett, Mario Gareña, Michi Sarmiento, Abraham Núñez, Systema Solar, Shakira, Bomb Stereo, Evaristo Mendoza and Maia.

“Tourism is a sector of opportunities that allows us to value the natural and cultural wealth of the territories. It promotes the authenticity of its peoples; and in this context, cultural tourism becomes a dynamizer of the local economy when it is integrated into artistic and cultural initiatives that promote the integral development of communities,” said the Minister of Commerce, María Ximena Lombana.

For its part, the culture portfolio has delivered 54 instruments to music schools in the seven departments that make up this circuit, as part of the 'Music in Movement' programme, which seeks to strengthen cultural and communication processes, which is why the delivery of instruments to eight other municipalities is contemplated.

The Government also highlighted the investment of more than $171 billion in order to strengthen the tourist competitiveness of these localities, of which $79,000 has been given by Fontur to the construction and adaptation of ten tourist infrastructure projects in the region such as the Puerto Colombia Pier, the Santa Theater Marta and the Glass Box of Barranquilla.

“This is a project that makes visible and dignified the work of our peoples and, in particular, that of the work of teachers who have been on their backs for many years the safeguarding of this heritage not only of the Colombian Caribbean people but of the nation. Cumbia lives! ”, concluded the cultural manager of the Bank, Magdalena, Veruschka Barros.

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