Skift Take
Colombia has become a darling of South America during its transformation, but those changes and their impact on tourism can be seen clearly in Medellin. The city’s tourism sector fuels its economic growth while homegrown efforts are turning the city into something many travel to see.
Technology is fueling a social transformation in Medellín, Colombia.
A city once better known for Pablo Escobar and cocaine wars is now being heralded as the "Silicon Valley of South America."
In an effort to make Medellín an innovative business hub and leader of contemporary urban design, the city has also become one of the more buzzed about international tourist destinations.
Happy locals equal happy visitors
Urban renovations have changed the landscape of Medellín over the past decade.
The city's efforts received recognition when then Wall Street Journal named it "Innovative City of the Year" in 2012. After a series of online polls, Medellín beat out Tel Aviv and New York with the most enthusiastic social media endorsement of the city's progress and innovation.
In a statement following the contest, Urban Land Institute described Medellín's transformation as follows:
Few cities have transformed the way that Medellín, Colombia’s second largest city, has in the past 20 years. The city built public libraries, parks, and schools in poor hillside neighborhoods and constructed a series of transportation links from there to its commercial and industrial centers. The links include a metro cable car system and escalators up steep hills, reducing commutation times, spurring private investment, and promoting social equity as well as environmental sustainability.
Efficient public transportation is at the forefront of the city's efforts leading to the construction of a Metro rail network and cable car system that
