Colombia is probably one of the TN family’s top destinations. Due to its rich Afro-diasporic culture, stunning landscapes, beautiful beaches and Caribbean flavor, this South American country received hundreds of thousands of tourists before the pandemic who always enjoyed everything Colombia offered. As the tourism sector works to recover after being hit by the pandemic, Colombia launches a new tourist route through its Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MinCIT) to promote the country’s Caribbean music and culture.
Named Cumbia Route and Sounds of the Caribbean, this new route covers 23 cities in every coastal region (Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, Córdoba, La Guajira, Magdalena, Sucre), allowing the traveler to experience 1,300 km of musical adventure and cultural immersion.
The new routes also include the promotion of local fairs and festivals, gastronomy, handicrafts, luthiery, and learning about Colombia’s heritage.
“Taking advantage of the musical richness of the Caribbean and inspired by the movie ‘Encanto‘, we created this Route with which we hope to boost artistic and cultural activity in the Caribbean, contributing to economic reactivation, job creation, as well as the scheduled increase in the flow of visitors through tourism.,” Colombia’s Minister of Culture Angélica Mayolo said in an interview with a media outlet in Colombia.
According to him, the tourists will be able to enjoy the rich percussion and flute sounds of San Jacinto’s gaiteros to ceremonial chants and beating of drums in Wayúu communities.
“The Cumbia Route represents both ancestral and contemporary music, including the brassy Big Band sound of El Carmen de Bolívar (Bolívar), made legendary by the 20th Century composer and conductor “Lucho” Bermudez (1912-1994),” he added.
As Colombia holds a strong and rich music tradition, many towns along the route offer the country’s musical richness. Cities such as Soledad, Puerto Colombia, San Basilio de Palenque, Puerto Escondido, Lorica, Santa Marta, El Banco, Ciénaga, Aracataca, Sincelejo, Ovejas, Barranquilla, Valledupar, Montería and Cartagena are among the municipalities where the tourists will be able to meet the traditional Colombian music, which holds strong influences of African and Indigenous heritages. Salsa and Cumbia are the two most popular musical genres from Colombia that foreigners most associate with the country, according to a survey carried out by ProColombia in 2018.
However, the country also holds other important musical genres, rhythms and dances across its coast’s African heritage such as bullerengue, chandé, and mapalé – interpreted today by descendants of enslaved Africans who safeguard their traditions in palenques, the first free towns in South America.
“Tourism figures show that the sector is moving from reactivation to sustained economic growth. Projects such as the Ruta de la Cumbia are an opportunity to specialize the offer and promote other destinations in the country” Colombia’s minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, María Ximena Lombana said.
This initiative was created to recover an estimated 533,000 international visitors, seen during the pre-pandemic period, according to official data. Colombia’s government states that Barranquilla is the department with the highest tourism growth projection for international tourists is the Atlantic coast.
As Colombia launches a new tourist route, Lombana added that the government works to make cultural tourism more visible. It also aims to encourage cultural and creative industries and generate new opportunities for communities through sustainable tourism.
As Colombia launches a new tourist route, Lombana added that the government works to make cultural tourism more visible. It also aims to encourage cultural and creative industries and generate new opportunities for communities through sustainable tourism.
