Primacy of religious meaning
Decisions concerning worship rest with the ecclesiastical authority and are not subject to the Roundtable's deliberation.
Home / The RoundtableNature, mission and principles
The Roundtable
A consultative and technical forum for agreement that facilitates consensus among public institutions, the Church and the territories in support of religious tourism.
Foundation
A common space for the five pillars of the Plan to move forward together
The Proposed Strategic Plan for Catholic Religious Tourism in Colombia, updated on 11 October 2026, identifies as a condition for its development the existence of a stable space in which the State, the Church and the territories work together.
Religious tourism in Colombia enjoys broad and diverse demand. According to MinCIT forecasts, more than twelve million travellers journeyed during Holy Week 2026, and Buga alone received more than 1.2 million visitors in 2025: pilgrims, believers, cultural tourists and families who energise the economy of destinations.
Institutions, dioceses, territorial governments and businesses are already developing valuable initiatives in this field. The Roundtable provides the framework to coordinate them, give them continuity beyond changes in teams and capitalise on the lessons of each season.
There are also matters that call for dialogue and mutual trust: the scope of tourism promotion of places of worship, the organisation of visiting hours in harmony with the liturgy, and the respectful use of sacred images in communication. The Roundtable provides a permanent space to address them in advance and by consensus.
Nature
An agile forum, with no new structures
The Roundtable is a consultative and technical forum for agreement, without legal personality of its own. Its strength lies in the quality of its agreements and in its members' commitment to carry them out within their respective remits.
Formalisation
Administrative act and framework agreement
It is formally established through an administrative act of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism and a framework agreement with the Episcopal Conference of Colombia. The former provides institutional stability; the latter expressly enshrines respect for the Church's autonomy in all matters relating to worship.
Mission
To coordinate, guide and monitor public, Church and private actions that help pilgrims, believers, tourists and cultural visitors to be warmly welcomed in Colombia, safely and sustainably, for the benefit of the territories and the communities that receive them.
Principles
Four guiding principles
Shared responsibility
Each member contributes within its remit and fulfils the commitments it makes before the plenary.
Transparency
Minutes and agreements are public and accompanied by a register of commitments accessible to the public.
Territorial approach
Destinations and their communities are at the heart of the Roundtable's work, which operates from and for the territories.
A space for institutional collaboration
- It fully respects the remit of each institution: the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism defines tourism policy, each bishop governs his diocese and each municipal government answers to its citizens.
- It serves the general interest and all destinations as a whole, independently of particular commercial interests.
Its role is to facilitate agreement among those responsible for taking action.