Guest posts at the Colombia Travel Blog do not necessarily represent the opinion of our team. In fact, they are often chosen specifically because they offer an alternative perspective and can give rise to interesting debate. Guest authors neither pay nor receive any sort of compensation for their participation. Illustrations and captions are provided by The Colombia Travel Blog unless indicated otherwise.

J.M. Porup is the author of Lonely Planet’s 5th Edition of the Colombia guidebook. His recent book, The United States of Air, a satire that looks at the War on Terror (among other things) is heavily influenced by his travel to Colombia. You can find him on Twitter @JMPorup.

Backpackers Remain the Foundation of Tourism in Colombia

by J.M. Porup (Lonely Planet Colombia, 5th ed.)

In 2009, the Colombian Ministry of Culture and Tourism invited me to give a speech in Bogota (full text here). At the time, I had just finished work as Co-ordinating Author of Lonely Planet’s Colombia guidebook (5th ed.). The government wanted to know what I thought of tourism in the country. How could things be improved?

They got more, I think, than they bargained for.

Now, three years later, tourism in Colombia has exploded. But the basics remain unchanged: backpackers and independent travelers are and will continue to be the foundation of Colombia’s tourism industry for the short- to medium-term future.

Why?

It’s a question of perception.

Marketing is all about perception. Not what is real but what the market thinks is real. How is Colombia perceived by most potential visitors? Well, put it this way. If you suggested a week-long vacation in Colombia to a middle-class family living in North America or Europe, how do you think they would respond?

In The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (a book I highly recommend), the authors argue the best path to success is to be first in your category.

What is Colombia’s category?

Beaches, perhaps? Well, no. Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the rest of the Caribbean… Colombia can’t compete. With a few exception (San Andres, Tayrona, Guachalito), Colombia’s beaches just aren’t as nice. Ditto ruins. What does Colombia have that can out-compete trekking Macchu Picchu? Ciudad Perdida? Given a choice between the two, tourists will pick Peru every time. OK, so there’s Cartagena. Colombia can be first in colonial walled cities, if it wants to be–but what about the rest of the country?

Colombia must find a way to take its negative image and turn that into a positive. Proexport is already doing this with their marvellous slogan, “El riesgo es que te quieras quedar” (The risk is wanting to stay).

And who is the market for a country perceived as an edgy, adventurous destination?

Backpackers and independent travelers.

The 22 Laws authors argue that if you can’t be first in your category, set up a new category you can be first in. Instead of playing also-ran to other Caribbean destinations, Colombia can and should expand its marketing to emphasize how “adventurous” it is to visit Colombia. Take this perception and drive the point home: “Yes! We are an edgy destination! Only the adventurous need apply!”

Colombia cannot be all things to all people. The country must concede defeat to Peru, to Mexico, to its other competitors in their respective categories, and strive to be number one in adventure travel.

This conclusion is difficult for many Colombians to accept, first of all because it wounds their pride in their country (a pride that’s well-deserved, I might add). Embracing this strategy also frustrates property developers who are aching for a beach resort cash cow. It is difficult to gain perspective on your own country unless you leave it and travel widely, something difficult for most Colombians to do.

But it needs to be remembered that backpackers and independent travelers spend far more money–and much more time–in Colombia than the average package tourist. A guest at an all-inclusive resort spends a week to ten days. The backpacker spends a month or two or three. And instead of concentrating that spending in a single resort, enriching only the property developers, they spend that money all around the country, taking taxis, riding buses, eating in local restaurants, staying in smaller hotels and hostels.

Is it any wonder that the wealthy and influential in Colombia are opposed to this strategy? They struggle to figure out how to make money off this kind of traveler, and so they call it sour grapes and dismiss the idea entirely.

Their time to harvest will come. Remember that in marketing, the target is not the market. A long-term strategy of “Colombia for Only the Adventurous” will have the ironic result of making unadventurous people want to visit the country. The 22 Laws authors give the example of Marlboro cigarettes, whose marketing targets specifically the “man’s man,” the cowboy. Yet Marlboro cigarettes are the number one selling cigarette in the US among both men and women.

Bottom line: imitating what works in Mexico or Cuba is not a path to success for Colombia. The country must find a way to take advantage of its unique history, culture, and circumstances to position itself as number one in adventure travel in the mind of the potential visitor. This strategy is the best possible way to maximize visitor revenue, spread the tourist dollar all around the country, and ensure long-term growth in the tourism industry.

Former Lonely Planet author J.M. Porup now writes satire. American by birth, Australian by choice, Colombian by marriage and Canadian by accident, he escaped from the US in 1999 and plans to renounce his citizenship. His first editor–way back in the mid-90s–called him a loose cannon. Ever since, Porup has done his best to live up to that high standard.