Pereira y sus celebraciones aniversarias

 La capital risaraldense celebra este mes de agosto sus 152 años de vida administrativa. Si bien es cierto aún no logra desarrollar su potencial turístico en las dimensiones que lo ha logrado el vecino departamento del Quindio, cuenta con condiciones excepcionales para igualarlo  en el mediano y largo plazo.  Según la agencia de Promoción e Inversión Invest in Pereira, la ciudad  y Risaralda cuentan con una ubicación geográfica inmejorable para el turismo nacional e internacional, pero también para los  negocios, pues está ubicada en el corazón del Triángulo de Oro, área que concentra el 76% del PIB Nacional y el 56% del total de la población y ubicadas de manera equidistante (200 kms. lineales) a los tres principales centros de consumo nacional (Bogotá, Medellín y Cali) y al puerto de Buenaventura. Adicionalmente, es el centro del Triángulo del Café,  región que alberga 2,4 millones de habitantes y que constituye el área de influencia intermedia tanto en términos de consumo como de acceso al talento humano.

The capital city of Risaralda will celebrate its 152 years this month. And even though it is true it hasn?t fully developed its touristic potential in the way Quindío has, it excels in conditions to achieve that goal in a close term. According to the promotion and inversion agency Invest in Pereira, the city and entire Risaralda have got an unbeatable geographic location for national and international tourism and business as well, as it is located in the center of the so called «Golden Triangle?, an area which sums up 76% of the national GDP and 56% of total population; an area delimited by Bogotá, Medellín and Cali and equidistant to Buenaventura?s maritime port. Additionally, it is the center of the «Coffee Triangle?, which homes over 2.4 million people and constitutes an area of intermediate influence both in consumption and human workforce.
In its desire to take Pereira onto the way of competitive development, Mayor Enrique Vázquez Zuleta has allied with zone unions leading a series of strategies to attract national and foreign investors to consolidate the city as entrance door to the Colombian Coffee Landscape ? Cultural Heritage of Mankind. Proof of hard work can be exemplified with the modernization process of Matecaña Airport which just inaugurated its control tower last month. We can add the notorious advances in the construction of Ukumari Biopark in the sector of Cerritos, in a pre-operative phase with the transfer of animals from old Matecaña Zoo to what will be known as the Andean Bioregion and which will open in September.
The third bet coming from Pereiran government aims to the construction of a new convention center at Expofuturo sector. A key tool for the development of convention and congress tourism cluster. This process took form with the adjudication of the construction contract by the national government in an alliance with the local Commerce Chamber. We are sure these tasks are not enough to project the city as a true touristic destination, but they constitute an important advance towards the objective which will also require a real politic goodwill by its ruling class.

FABIO CASTAÑO MOLINA
Director