Cartagena (Colombia), Nov 20 (EFE) .- Spanish tourism entrepreneurs explore the Colombian strengths in this sector, especially in nature and cultural heritage, the president said today. of the Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality (ICTE), Miguel Mirones.

"This activity is a way for Spanish tourism to discover the Colombian tourism product from the hand of the Colombians themselves, "added Mirones at the opening of the First World Forum on Quality Management of Cultural Heritage, Natural Spaces and Beaches that takes place in the Caribbean of Cartagena de Indias.

This forum organized by the ICTE is part of the IV International Congress of Tourism Quality to be held from 22 to 24 this month in Cali (southwest) under the theme "Tourism for peace and development ".

The president of ICTE explained that" it was decided to do, beyond a conventional congress, a series of days before and after the congress that they started in Cartagena, they will continue in Cali and later they will go to Eje Cafetero ", in the center of the country.

Mirones told Efe that the axis of the first forum is the proper management of the cultural and natural heritage from a tourism perspective that includes sustainability and take into account that travelers seek "to live an experience".

In this sense, the vice-dean of Tourism of the Catholic University of Murcia (Spain), Ginesa Martínez del Vas, told Efe that "the new tourists demand a real experience in the destination, especially in the destinations cultural and heritage. "

" It is a very important responsibility that tourists feel integrated into the city and for that we have to see it as a temporary citizen living the experience as a citizen and not as a person alien to the destination, "he argued.

Mirones stressed that Colombia has an artistic, architectural and natural heritage" very broad "so that "It is very important that the management of all this be adequate to offer the world a different reality, a magical but sustainable reality."

"Colombia is opening up to world touristic with a different offer in which the heritage plays a very important role, "he added.

The forum was attended by the head of innovation of the Valencian Tourism Agency, José Luis Wagner Salazar; executive of the Cartagena de Indias Tourism Corporation, Zully Salazar.

The IV International Congress of Tourism Quality will address in Cali issues such as sustainable tourism for peace and the development;