The Colombian destination of Melgar has received its Biosphere Certified Destination badge, recognising it as the first municipality to be internationally certified as a tourist destination in Colombia.
With this recognition, the structuring of a tourism corridor that will include 16 municipalities of Cundinamarca and Tolima begins, all around this process of continuous improvement, certification and joint work of the Vice-Ministry of Tourism, the Mayor's Office of Melgar and the Government of Tolima.
"Today Melgar is moving towards sustainability under the Biosphere methodology, it is a certification that defines that our municipality begins a path towards sustainability and that we are moving forward in this significant journey to take care of our environment," said Maria del Pilar Rubio, Secretary of Economic Development of Melgar.
For its part, the Government of Tolima accompanied this process before the Vice-Ministry of Tourism, where it highlighted the great work of the Mayor's Office of Melgar and will continue with all tourist destinations in the department, in search of the proper development of tourism, using as a guide and basis the Biosphere methodology, which translates to tourism the 17 SDGs and the 169 goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030.
"We are at the Vice-Ministry of Tourism accompanying our Secretary of Economic Development of Melgar, in a very important strategy of tourism quality certification and that today precisely receives this recognition, the first municipality in Colombia to receive international certification, excellent news. In this way, we generate a commitment to support and monitor everything that comes to sustain this valuable certification," said Érika Ramos, Secretary of Economic Development of Tolima.
Likewise, Ricardo Galindo Bueno, Deputy Minister of Tourism, said that this achievement is not only for Tolima, but for Colombia to be the first municipality internationally certified in sustainable tourism, a process to continue developing in the country and in the different destinations in the region.
"Undoubtedly this recognition, this certification that the municipality of Melgar has today, is very significant for tourism, but not only for Melgar and the department, but for tourism in Colombia. Achieving this certification of responsible and sustainable tourism shows us that in the country we are doing our homework and that we are doing it well, that we are concerned about new trends. That is why today Melgar shows us its potential and responsibility with sustainability," he said.
