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LAW 705 OF 2001
(November 21)
Official Journal No 44.628 of 27 November 2001
By means of which the "Tourism Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Colombia and the Government of the United Mexican States", signed in Mexico City, is approved on 7 December 1998.
COLOMBIA CONGRESS
Having regard to the text of the Tourism Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Colombia and the Government of the United Mexican States, signed in Mexico City on 7 December 1998.
(To be transcribed: photocopy of the full text of the International Instrument mentioned).
" TOURISM COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA
AND THE MEXICAN UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
The Government of the Republic of Colombia and the Government of the United Mexican States, hereinafter referred to as "The Parties";
Considering the existing friendship links between both countries;
Convinced of the importance that the development of tourism relations may have, not only in favor of the respective economies, but also to foster a deep understanding between the two peoples;
Wishing to engage in close collaboration in the field of tourism and to encourage it to be the greatest possible benefit;
You have agreed to the following:
The Parties undertake to study the feasibility of establishing and opening representations of tourism in the territory of the other Party, in charge of promoting the exchange of tourism and without the powers to exercise any activity of a character. in accordance with the laws, regulations, policies and procedures of the receiving Party.
Both Parties shall grant the facilities at their disposal for the installation and operation of such offices, in accordance with their internal arrangements.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
1. The Parties shall cooperate in the field of tourism to encourage and develop tourism relations between the two countries, for which they shall carry out the cooperation actions they deem necessary.
2. In the field of their respective legislation, the Parties shall facilitate and encourage the activities of tourism service providers such as: travel agencies, traders and tour operators, hotels, airlines, railways, operators of bus and ferry companies, generating reciprocal tourism between the two countries.
For this purpose, each Party shall:
(a) Consider the contribution that air transport can make to the development of tourist flows and promote to the competent authorities, that the carriers of the other Party, whether public or private, may open agencies of sales and appoint representatives on their territory to market their services in accordance with applicable national law; and
b) Promote, equally, with the competent authorities, that the maritime and land carriers of the other Party, whether public or private, may open sales agencies under the conditions referred to in the preceding paragraph.
3. The Parties shall, through their official bodies, exchange officials and experts in tourism, in order to obtain greater knowledge of the tourist infrastructure of each country and to be able to define clearly the fields in which it is benefit from receiving advice and technology transfer.
4. For the purposes of paragraph 3., the Parties shall carry out reciprocal visits by officials and experts, in order to make known the development achieved in each country in the various fields of tourism. The number of visits, as well as that of officials and experts, will be the same for both Parties. The costs of international transportation will be borne by the sending Party, while the hosting costs will be covered by the receiving Party.
FACILITATION, PROMOTION, AND INVESTMENT.
1. Within the framework of its internal legislation, the Parties shall grant each other all facilities to intensify and structure the tourism movement of persons, simplifying or eliminating, as far as possible, requirements of procedure and documentaries.
2. The Parties shall grant the facilities at their disposal for the exchange of documentation and publicity material of a tourist nature.
3. The Parties shall consider the implementation of tourism promotion initiatives in order to increase the exchange and make known the image of their respective countries, participating in tourism, cultural and sports events, exhibitions, seminars, congresses, conferences and fairs.
4. The Parties shall promote, within the framework of the applicable legislation, investments in the respective tourism sectors.
TOURISM PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.
1. The Parties shall encourage their respective experts to exchange technical information and/or documentation in the following fields
a) Systems and methods for the training of teachers, researchers and trainers on technical issues related to all areas of tourism development;
b) Systems and methods of research for tourism development;
(c) Systems and methods of training in practice and linking between educational establishments and tourism enterprises;
d) Curricula and teaching programs at all levels of education, and
e) Scholarships for teachers, researchers, trainers and students.
2. The Parties shall encourage their respective teachers, researchers, trainers and students to benefit from this Agreement, establish bilateral development programmes and enhance cooperation between teaching and research institutions and between professionals and experts from both countries, in order to raise the quality and technical and professional level of tourism services of both Parties.
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND TOURISM STATISTICS.
1. Both Parties shall exchange information on:
a) Your tourism resources and tourism-related studies;
b) The legislation in force for the regulation of tourism activities and for the protection and conservation of natural and cultural resources of tourism interest, and
c) The volume and characteristics of the real potential of the tourism market of both countries.
2. The Parties shall examine the possibility of:
a) Provide advice on the compendium of statistics;
b) Improving the reliability and compatibility of tourism statistics in the two countries, and
c) Agree that the parameters for the production and presentation of tourism, domestic and international statistics, established by the World Tourism Organization, are requirements for such purposes.
WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION.
Parties will search for:
a) Cooperate within the framework of the World Tourism Organization to develop and encourage the adoption of uniform models and recommended practices that, when implemented by governments, will facilitate the development of tourism, and
b) Give mutual assistance in a matter of cooperation and effective participation in the. World Tourism Organization.
QUERIES.
In order to monitor the development of this Agreement and the promotion and evaluation of its results, the Parties will establish a Working Group composed of equal numbers of representatives, who will meet in Mexico and Colombia in turn, with the frequency to be determined by the Group itself, in order to assess the activities carried out under this Agreement.
To the meetings of this Working Group may be invited members of the private tourism sector, in order to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of this Agreement
FINAL PROVISIONS.
1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the date on which both Parties communicate, through diplomatic channels, to have complied with the requirements and procedures required by their national legislation.
2. This Agreement shall be in force for a period of five years, renewable for periods of equal duration, after evaluation.
3. By way of derogation from the preceding paragraph, the Parties may terminate this Agreement at any time by means of written notification, submitted by diplomatic channels, at least 90 days in advance.
4. The termination of this Agreement shall not affect the implementation of the programmes and projects which have been formalised during their lifetime, unless the Parties agree otherwise.
5. Upon entry into force of this Agreement, the Agreement of Tourism Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Colombia and the Government of the United Mexican States, signed on June 8, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-nine, is without effect.
Subscribed in Mexico City, on December 7, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight in two original copies, in Spanish, both texts being equally valid.
By the Government of the Republic of Colombia,
GUILLERMO FERNANDEZ DE SOTO,
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
By the Government of the United Mexican States,
ROSARIO GREEN,
Foreign Secretary.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF PUBLIC POWER
PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC
Santa Fe de Bogota, D. C., May 12, 2000.
Approved. Submit to the consideration of the honorable National Congress for the constitutional effects.
(Fdo.) ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO
The Foreign Minister,
(Fdo.) GUILLERMO FERNANDEZ DE SOTO.
DECRETA:
ARTICLE 1o. Approve the "Tourism Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Colombia and the Government of the United Mexican States", signed in Mexico City on 7 December 1998.
ARTICLE 2o. In accordance with the provisions of Article 1o. of Law 7a. In 1944, the "Agreement on Tourism Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Colombia and the Government of the United Mexican States", signed in Mexico City on 7 December 1998, was signed by the href="ley_0705_2001.html#1"> 1or. of this law shall be adopted, shall bind the country from the date on which the international link with respect to the law is perfected.
ARTICLE 3o. This law governs from the date of its publication.
The President of the honorable Senate of the Republic,
CARLOS GARCIA ORJUELA.
The Secretary General of the honorable Senate of the Republic,
MANUEL ENRIQUEZ ROSERO.
The President of the honorable House of Representatives,
GUILLERMO GAVIRIA ZAPATA.
The Secretary General of the honorable House of Representatives,
ANGELINO LIZANO RIVERA.
COLOMBIA-NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
COMMUNICATE AND COMPLY.
Execute, upon revision of the Constitutional Court, in accordance with article 241-10 of the Political Constitution.
Dada in Bogotá, D. C., on November 21, 2001.
ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO
The Foreign Minister,
GUILLERMO FERNANDEZ DE SOTO.
The Minister of Economic Development,
EDUARDO PIZANO DE NARVAEZ.
