The Creative Tourism Network® had the honor of collaborating in the Product Show Contest (Concurso Salón de Producto de Medellín), organized by the Greater Medellin Convention & Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the Medellín City Council.
This contest seeks to recognize and reward tourism service providers who, with their proposals, contribute to the economic reactivation of the Medellín tourism industry through innovative initiatives and differential experiences for tourists.
The creative and entrepreneurial DNA of the city and its population was reflected, once again, in the diversity and originality of the proposals. This new bet allows to encourage and strengthen the products, routes, and tourist services of Medellín, which generate a direct impact on the economy and allow the articulation of the city’s tourist service providers.
In effect, the proposals presented demonstrated the infinity of experiences that can be designed around topics as diverse as the work of Maestro Botero, paisa cuisine, traditional or urban dances, handicrafts, or of course, silletera legacies, to mention just a few, that the creativity and hospitality of the people of Medellin turn into offers endowed with a high added value.
The director of the CreativeTourismNetwork®, Caroline Couret, had the honor of being part of the jury panel, made up of Mrs. Ledys Vianey López Zapata, Undersecretary of Tourism of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, María José Silva Arango, Manager of ProColombia’s Vacation Tourism, Andrea Carolina Gil López, Deputy Director of Receptive Tourism at Anato Nacional, and Laura Lugo Pérez, developer of innovative products and services for Ruta N, in a session opened by Ms. Sandra Howard Taylor, executive director of the Greater Medellin Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Jury positively valued the relevance of the proposals in their respective categories – “Junior” or “Senior” – according to criteria such as originality and innovation, business model or viability, as well as their emphasis on community tourism, sustainability or the technological component, among others.
In addition to these criteria, the CreativeTourismNetwork® awarded the Special Mentions “Creative Tourism-Orange Tourism” to the Moravia Tours and Colombia-Conexión: Vení pues a Medellín – La Comuna 8 te va a Sorprender.
Both proposals stand out for the creative and participatory experiences that invite travelers to know and understand the culture and DNA of the neighborhood. Through orchard workshops, artistic recycling, music, or mural classes, the visitor has the opportunity to share authentic experiences with the locals.
The CreativeTourismNetwork® highly valued the originality of these experiences, as well as the value chain created in its co-creation process, in terms of training, empowerment, social cohesion, promotion of intangible heritage and economic dynamization.
In addition to this recognition, the winning proposals will benefit from specific promotional support from the CreativeTourismNetwork®, related to the actions framed in the designation of the City of Medellín as a “CreativeFriendly Destination“.
Congratulations to everyone for your brilliant proposals!
