Compete and Scale: The program to Transform Tourism in La Guajira

La Guajira, a land of culture and contrasts, is preparing to take a firm step towards the professionalization and sustainable growth of its tourism sector. To achieve this, the Governor’s Office is launching Compite y Escala, a strategic program designed to strengthen the capacities of tourism service providers (TSPs) and help them improve their competitiveness, sustainability and international projection.

This program, to be implemented in the second half of 2025, integrates training, technical assistance and smart capital delivery to prepare the sector to compete at international standards and connect it to broader markets.

What does Compete and Scale look for?

The initiative is based on a clear vision: to strengthen the tourism ecosystem of La Guajira. Its main objective is to close gaps in quality, sustainability and access to international markets through a progressive methodology that identifies, trains and empowers the sector’s stakeholders.

Specific objectives include:

• Develop technical and entrepreneurial skills in tourism providers.
• Promote sustainable and scalable business models.
• To provide real tools for continuous improvement.
• Facilitate access to financial and technical resources through vouchers.
• To prepare the sector for insertion into national and international value chains.

Who can participate?

The program is aimed at individuals or legal entities that provide, intermediate, market or book tourism services within the territory of La Guajira. The only legal requirement is to be registered and active in the National Tourism Registry (RNT), in accordance with Law 2068 of 2020.

You can apply:

• Tourism agencies
• Tour operators
• Transportation agencies
• Hotels
• Hostels
• Tourist restaurants

What benefits does the program offer?

Selected participants will have access to a series of benefits designed to strengthen different key areas of tourism development:

• Certified training in tourism quality and sustainability, with a practical and territorial approach.
• Advanced training in strategic management, marketing and finance.
• Personalized technical assistance aimed at improving business models.
• Access to innovation vouchers and smart capital of up to COP $15,000,000 in kind, to invest in structured plans.
• Expert support in internationalization processes.
• Greater visibility in national and international commercial showcases.

How is the program structured?

Compete and Scale is developed in three progressive phases, which allow us to identify the providers with the greatest commitment and potential, in order to provide them with personalized tools for improvement.

Phase 1: Training seminar

It will take place on August 14, 2025 and will bring together 250 tourism service providers. During an 8-hour day, topics such as quality, sustainability and internationalization will be addressed. At the end, participants will receive official certification and will be able to apply for the next phase.

Phase 2: Advanced training and technical assistance

Of the 250 participants, 100 will be selected to continue with specialized training focused on structuring business plans. This phase, which will take place between August 18 and August 23, 2025, will include thematic mentoring distributed in four modules.

Selection criteria:

• Business trajectory
• Level of formalization
• Clarity and relevance of the improvement proposal
• Differential value of the service (sustainability,
• authenticity, innovation)
• Membership in priority groups
• Complete submission of the required documentation

Phase 3: Pitch Day and smart capital

In this final stage, the 45 participants with the best-structured plans will present their proposals before an expert jury during the Pitch Day event.
Selected projects will receive vouchers for up to COP $15,000,000, in kind, to be invested according to the plans presented in previous phases.