Caracas Chronicles

This week the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) began in Madrid. The event is one of the most important of its kind in the world. It doesn’t compare at all with our own particular version of Fitur, but that’s another story…

More than 160 countries are there to promote themselves to potential investors and customers, and Venezuela is no exception, pushing the traditional angle of our natural wonders, our sunny beaches and not everything else.

But KonZapata’s David Placer went to Fitur to visit the Venezuelan stand and found out that the main place being suggested for tourists isn’t Angel Falls, but the resting place of the comandante eterno, better known as “El Cuartel de la Montaña”.

Our Tourism Ministry describes it as “one of the most significant places of contemporary Venezuela,” as the resting place of an “unprecedented international political leader.”

Basically they are going full political in their approach. But apparently this isn’t new.

Doing the complete opposite is Ecuador, which last year launched an ambitious campaign titled “All You Need is Ecuador”. To top it, they will spend 3,8 million dollars for a 30-second ad in the Super Bowl, the highest rated TV program in U.S. television. It’s the first time in history that a foreign country promotes itself in such a big event.

As this open letter from a foreign tourist has explained the many faults of our tourism policy, it’s interesting to compare how others are doing a better job of promoting themselves. Both countries are taking quite a gamble, but it looks like one of those has a larger chance of getting attention and succeeding. And I doubt it will be Venezuela’s.

(Note: Do not miss the konzapata piece; it’s really out there. And check out Emiliana’s piece on her visit to the place last year.)