JW Marriott Bogota to open July 2010

Have you heard about Bogota, Colombia attracting a lot of attention as an important and attractive destination for tourism and business lately? Well, it’s true and for several good reasons. The capital of Colombia is now as safe, and in some cases safer, than many cities in the U.S. It’s also a sophisticated, culturally diverse, and exciting gateway to South America.

Experts foresee an ever increasing number of visitors to the city in coming years and this will require a lot of hotel rooms. Fortunately, Bogota will be equipped to accommodate these large numbers of visitors with dozens of hotels ranging from independent boutique hotels to 5-star luxury suites. Without a doubt, the Bogota hotel industry will have you covered, no matter what your budget is.

A study conducted by Collier International gives the Colombian government credit for the arrival of so many new hotel chains, thanks to incentives set for the sector by way of attractive tax exemptions. Those who have helped build hotel infrastructure in the country have had great success, especially in Bogota, where quality and quantity of supply have increased significantly.

The J.W. Marriott, Hilton, Sonesta, Hyatt, and Spanish hotel chain NH are just some of the hotels that are currently under construction in Bogota and slated to open throughout 2010 and 2011. In addition to these there are also several local chains that continue to expand within Bogota and around the country, building new properties to meet demand. Other hotel chains that already have experience in Bogota’s hotel industry include, Sheraton, Accor, GHL, Crowne Plaza, Royal, and Summit.

According to the Colombia es Pasion webpage there are 14 luxury hotels being built in Bogota at the moment. It is estimated that between the years 2004 and 2012 approximately 4,000 new rooms will have been built, the majority of which belong to foreign hotel groups.

Bogotá has about 48,000 taxis

Bogota’s transportation system can seem a bit overwhelming at times, especially if it’s your first visit, but once you acquire a feeling for the layout of the city and the different modes of transportation you’ll feel more confident about getting around whether you are a tourist or on business.

These are the three main ways to move around Bogota:

• Taxi
• Bus
• Transmilenio

Taxis are today’s focus. They are abundant all around the city and are the most convenient form of transportation. The rates are very reasonable and if you follow certain guidelines your journey will be a breeze.

Here are a few important tips and guidelines to remember when taking a taxi in Bogota:

• Call a reliable taxi company and have them dispatch a vehicle to your location (see list of reputable taxi company’s below). The dispatcher will give you the taxi’s license plate so that you can confirm that you’re getting into the right cab.
• If you called your taxi, the driver will ask you for the last 2 digits of the telephone you called from. If that code or clave doesn’t match he or she may not take you.
• Every taxi should have the driver’s personal information visible and a price chart. Always make sure the meter is running (it starts at 25) and check the price chart to see how much you need to pay the driver.
• Keep in mind that there is a surcharge when you call a taxi, during peak hours, at night, on Sundays/holidays, and for trips to the airport.
• Know the address of your destination and if possible, try to find out the best and fastest route. Some taxi drivers have been known to take passengers for a “ride” just to run up the meter.
• Hailing a taxi on the street during the day is safe but if you are ever in doubt find the closest hotel, shopping center or taxi stand to make sure you are getting a legitimate taxi.
• Plan ahead for rush hour. Trying to hail or call a taxi after 5 p.m. can be very frustrating and it feels like every taxi in the city is taken. Make sure you have plenty of time to get to your destination and never underestimate rush-hour traffic.
• Carry small bills. Many taxi drivers in Bogotá don’t carry a lot of change so breaking a large bill might be a problem. However, if you only have large bills it is the driver’s responsibility to stop somewhere and find change.
• Tipping taxi drivers is not customary in Colombia but is accepted for exceptional service.
• Hotel taxi’s are white and offer very good service. The drivers generally speak some English but the rates may be slightly higher than a yellow taxi. These white taxis do not work with the same price chart as yellow taxis.

Getting around by taxi in Bogotá is simple, safe and convenient if you stick to these guidelines. Here are the top 3 taxi services in the city:

• Tax Express (411 1111)
• Taxis Libres (311 1111)
• Taxis Verdes (355 5555)

We invite you to post a comment and share your Bogotá taxi experience with other readers.

Atacadao Discount Hypermarket in Colombia

On February 26th, Carrefour will launch a new wholesale store in Colombia known as Atacadao. The Brazilian business model was purchased by the Carrefour Group in 2007 and has been very successful in Brazil thus far. The first Atacadao in Colombia, located at Calle 13 and Boyacá Avenue, will offer discount prices up to 10-15%. The hypermarket aims to meet the needs of its target market consisting mainly of shopkeepers and merchants.

According to a statement made by Franck Pierre, president of Carrefour Colombia, “If the model is successful in this country, we will reproduce it in other places such as Argentina, Spain, and even China.”

Carrefour’s vision for 2015 is to have more than 25 Atacadao hypermarket’s throughout the country. To date, Carrefour has over 60 supermarkets in Colombia and employs nearly 9,000 people.

The Carrefour Group received a “Top Employer” award in France for the second year in a row in recognition of its performance in the field of Human Resources.

Colombia Wins at Travel Show

Colombia beat other travel destinations such as Madagascar, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Israel to become the #1 Emerging Destination on the planet. The category was created in order for countries who received fewer visitors, and therefore fewer votes, to compete against countries with higher profiles in worldwide tourism.

According to Wanderlust Travel Magazine, the “top of the pile was Colombia, the Latin American nation whose wild beaches, colonial cities (including Unesco-listed Cartagena), archeological sites and rolling coffee plantations are fast erasing outdated stereotypes of drugs and crime.”

Colombia received 18,915 visitors from the UK in 2009, contributing 1.4% of the total number of foreign tourists coming to the country.

Cutting, categorizing, and packing Colombian flowers for export

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and the Colombian flower industry is working hard to meet the demands of their most important customer: the United States. In just over three decades Colombia has become the world’s second largest flower exporter after the Netherlands and this year, an estimated 500 million flowers will be exported in time for February 14th.

The United States receives almost 80% of the flowers grown in Colombia with the remaining blossoms being shipped to Canada, Europe, and sometimes even further. Additionally, the industry generates direct and indirect employment for hundreds of thousands of people in flower shops, supermarkets, importers, trucking companies, and airlines, not to mention the suppliers who provide materials to create the bouquets you see at supermarkets and florists.

Asocolflores (Colombian Association of Flower Exporters) president Augusto Solano estimates that on average, Valentines Day sales make up 12% of the industry’s total annual profit and in the days leading up to February 14 there will be almost 30 flights a day transporting flowers from Colombia to Miami. 15,000 flower stands and 22,000 supermarkets in the U.S. will be selling Colombian flowers including roses and carnations.

In recent years, efforts to build a more sustainable industry led to the creation of FlorVerde, a social and environmental program that encourages members to abide by certain codes of good environmental practices like reduced use of pesticides, recycling, and water conservation. FlorVerde also extends special services to their employees including housing benefits, education, and childcare. Nearly 60% of the Colombian flower industry workers are women, many of whom are heads of household.

A view of Bogotá

The New York Times has published a great article touting Bogotá’s real estate market, economy, and security. Read the whole story here and find out why so many people are looking to Bogotá and all that is has to offer.

“In practical terms, it is very difficult for a foreigner to get a mortgage…unless he or she has a Colombian spouse or has lived in the country for at least six months and has a valid residence permit. But if a mortgage is not needed, non-Colombians can buy real estate with their passport.”

President Obama delivers State of the Union Address

President Obama delivered his first State of the Union address last night, Wednesday January 27th 2010.

Although pressing domestic issues such as the slowly recovering economy, creation of much needed jobs, the divisive political climate in Washington, and health care reform dominated the speech, Obama did highlight the importance of strengthening commercial relations with key partners such as South Korea, Colombia, and Panama.

“We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are. If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores. But realizing those benefits also means enforcing those agreements so our trading partners play by the rules. And that’s why we will continue to shape a Doha tradeagreement that opens global markets, and why we will strengthen our trade relations in Asia and with key partners like South Korea, Panama and Colombia.”

Excerpt from last night’s State of the Union Address

This statement took many by surprise and, in Colombia, has raised some hopes that the FTA will finally be implemented this year. However, last week’s comment by U.S. Ambassador to Bogotá, William Brownfield, suggest otherwise. Being an election year in the United States along with strong opposition from certain groups in Washington are two of the reasons mentioned that could prevent the ratification of the stalled trade agreement.

Whether or not Obama’s mention of strengthening ties with Colombia means anything concrete for the FTA is yet to be seen but President Uribe, who is currently at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, believes that the speech shows Obama’s confidence in Colombia and in turn could mean this year’s ratification of the agreement.

Out of the three main commercial airlines in Colombia (Avianca, Aires, and Aero Republica), Aires has demonstrated the most effective growth strategy in recent years. Consistent efforts to improve and attract more passengers is evident and last year alone the airline experienced  77.7% growth compared to 2008. With these statistics it’s no wonder the airline grew more than any of its competitors last year and took Aero Republica’s place as second in national flights and is favored by Colombian passengers after Avianca.

Colombian airlines improving service and rates

While Avianca continues to hold first place in volume of passengers transported nationally, Aires is hot on their tail. More national and international routes extend Aires’s reach and give consumers more options.

In addition to an already successful and ambitious growth and expansion plan based on quality of service, operational efficiency, security, new airplanes, an aggressive marketing strategy, and excellent ticket prices, Aires has launched a campaign that will ensure its continued success - Airesmania. This is the first online airline ticket outlet in Colombia, offering budget prices everyday to national and international destinations.

Despite these efforts to grow and improve service, the top three airlines could have more company soon.  Easyfly, a budget airline servicing Colombia’s smaller cities, has been operating nationally for some time and there is a possibility that two more airlines could be introduced in less than a year.

An increasing number of airlines and fierce competition will result in lower ticket prices and a boost to tourism, which could, in turn, favorably transform the face of Colombian transportation, tourism, and foreign investment.

Source: CentralAmericaData.COM

As efforts to materialize an agreement between Colombia and Panama continue, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Vélez emphasizes the importance of an integral treaty consisting of free trade, investment promotion and security, and double taxation.

Successful financial and trade relations between the two countries could serve as a benchmark for other similar agreements in Latin America. The treaty is expected to be signed within the next few weeks.

Read the whole article here and President Uribe’s speech to the CEAL (Business Council of Latin America) in spanish here.

"Sins of my Father" movie poster

This Friday the Colombian-Argentinean co-production, “Pecados de Mi Padre”/”Sins of my Father” (2009), will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. The film tells the story of Pablo Escobar, Colombia’s most notorious and dangerous drug lord, through the eyes of his son.

Selected for the World Cinema Documentary Competition, the film will undoubtedly convey a clear message to viewers: reconciliation, forgiveness, and the desire to move forward and create a better future for Colombia.

Last year the project received funding from the Colombian Ministry of Culture’s program for film development, an incentive established to help finance publicity efforts as well as to make participation at international film festivals, such as Cannes and Sundance, possible.

For 2010, the Film Development Fund has pledged nearly $1.1 million dollars for an estimated 18 fiction and documentary film releases this year. The fund was established in 2003 and has contributed to improvements in filmmaking, with the expectation that the industry will thrive and continue to grow, garnering well-deserved international attention.

Watch the trailer for “Sins of my Father” here.

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