View of Bogota from Monserrate

Cathedral on Monserrate

The Colombian government’s trade bureau, Proexport, is inviting Atlanta investors to consider the country’s tourism prospects, including a film festival that is drawing increased international attention, according to Ingrid Fitzgerald, director of the agency’s Atlanta office.

While some foreign companies may be concerned about stereotypes surrounding security issues in Colombia, “opportunities for investment are endless, and a lot of companies have begun to realize the potential of growing their margins investing in a country where labor prices and quality are very competitive,” Ms. Fitzgerald said.

Businesspersons are encouraged to visit the country’s capital of Bogota, where the annual film festival demonstrates “another side of Colombia,” said the festival’s director, Henry Laguado, who invited Atlantans to participate in the 25th Bogota Film Festival in October 2008.

“This festival is one of Bogota’s attractions for international visitors and investors, whether they are in the industry or not,” Mr. Laguado told GlobalAtlanta during the Oct. 3-11 celebration of the festival’s 24th year. “I invite Atlantans to discover the tourism and business opportunities Bogota has to offer.”

Though the film festival is not yet well-known in Georgia, Ms. Fitzgerald said Colombia is becoming a center for the entertainment industry in Latin America, and the country in general is becoming more popular as a business destination among Atlanta companies in various industries.

“You'd be surprised how many people in Atlanta know about Bogota because they either have been there for business and know the city or have just been there for pleasure,” she said. “Business-wise there are a lot of opportunities, but once business people get there, they can also see that Bogota is a great place to visit for fun.”

Ms. Fitzgerald encouraged Atlantans who do business in Bogota to stay extra days to visit the city’s tourist spots, including the old city center called La Candelaria, the mountaintop vista of Monserrate, the Gold Museum displaying Colombia’s pre-colonial history, the Botero Museum of painting and sculpture and the Salt Cathedral that is located inside a salt mine in Bogota’s surrounding mountains.

The Bogota Film Festival has also become one of Bogota’s tourist attractions and is part of Colombia’s marketing plan to project a positive image of the country that will attract foreign investment, Mr. Laguado said.

“Film is good for Colombia because it demonstrates Colombians’ talent and our international vision, and it invites people to come to Colombia to see for themselves what we have to offer,” he said.

Originally reviewing only South American-made movies, the festival now draws independent film makers from all over the world, featuring productions from Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

A different country’s film industry is spotlighted each year, with Egypt as the guest of honor for 2007. Germany will be highlighted next year, according to Mr. Laguado.

Bogota Film Festival

Proexport, which has 18 global offices that promote investment and tourism in Colombia, added the film festival to its repertoire of tourist and investment attractions, which also includes two new cruise lines that have begun to dock in the coastal city of Cartagena.

Delta Air Lines Inc. has daily non-stop flights to Bogota from Atlanta, which make that city easily accessible to travelers from the Southeast United States, Ms. Fitzgerald said.

Bogota is also home to a Crowne Plaza Tequendama Bogota hotel, which is part of the Atlanta-based InterContinental Hotels Group Inc. chain of hotels worldwide.  The hotel specializes in business events, featuring more than 20 event halls, some of which can accommodate 2,500 guests, according to Lina Rincon, the hotel’s public relations and communications manager.

Ms. Fitzgerald said that U.S. investors have not been discouraged by the still-pending free trade agreement between the U.S. and Colombia, as witnessed by recent investments by Maryland-based Marriott International Inc. in Bogota. But Proexport is hoping the agreement will be approved by U.S. Congress to make trading opportunities with Colombia more attractive to Atlanta investors.

The FTA, which trade representatives from both governments signed in 2006, faces tough scrutiny while awaiting a vote by Congress for approval.