Colombia's Huila department is advancing in consolidating wellness and health tourism through public-private collaboration. In a recent workshop led by the Gobernación and the Chamber of Commerce, tour operators launched the commercialization phase and committed to presenting specialized packages on April 15. The initiative aims to position Huila as a competitive destination nationally and internationally.
The Gobernación del Huila, via its Secretariat of Economic Development and Tourism, and the Huila Chamber of Commerce held a socialization workshop presenting progress on structuring the wellness and health tourism product. Consultant Albeiro Castro noted that the event launched the commercialization phase, targeting local travel agents.
Twelve of the department's 14 agencies attended and showed interest in participating. Operators agreed to develop tourism package proposals, ranging from one night to six days, including lodging, therapies, wellness experiences, and health care. These will be presented on April 15 at the Chamber of Commerce headquarters for validation by the Gobernación.
Marieta Trujillo from the Secretariat shared the participatory technical cluster document to integrate clinics, hotels, operators, and the public sector. The offering focuses on municipalities such as San Agustín, Isnos, Gigante, Paicol, Rivera, Neiva, Palermo, and Baraya. Fabián Cortés, president of the Huila Economic and Tourism Development Association, highlighted its potential to strengthen the value chain.
The process has attracted interest from 62 national agencies, with plans to escalate to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism. Operators like Víctor Mora stress the need for personalized experiences and coordinated promotion to address challenges like price standardization and sector professionalization.
