3.5. ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND REACTIVATION

District and the National Government due to the difficulty in demonstrating solvency or income from sales in previous years. During the pandemic, losses are estimated to be over the 57,000 million assumed by businessmen and merchants. This figure was projected through sectoral surveys carried out by the District Tourism Institute INDETUR during: June, September, and December 2020. Its purpose was to measure the impact of the crisis on the population; with special emphasis and impact on tourism service providers' social, economic, and health aspects. It is estimated that the most affected population corresponds to 6,930 tourism service providers represented in 199 professional tour guides, 2150 workers of 420 hostels, 3.294 workers of 366 hotels, 462 workers of travel and tourism agencies, 131 hotel operators, 231 workers of tourism operating agencies, 191 workers in alternative accommodations, 30 restaurant owners and more than 231 informal tourist informants, according to projections based on National Tourism Registry database (FONTUR, 2020). In addition, it is estimated that more than 679 members of vulnerable rural communities operating in 92 companies and associations of the rural tourism corridor in the Corregimiento of Guachaca are directly affected, which depend on the beaches and the Tayrona and Sierra Nevada National Natural Parks opening. Natural Parks ceased operations from February 2020 until their reopening in November of the same year.

3.5. ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND REACTIVATION In response to the harmful effects of the crisis, the District Mayor's Office of Santa Marta, through the District Tourism Institute INDETUR undertook actions to formulate and implement a plan for the economic reactivation of the tourism sector been implemented since 2020. The plan is based on five lines of action. They are Security and confidence, reactivation and recovery of the employability of the sector, formalization, diversification of the offer, and the destination promotion (See Figure 21). During the initial phase, pilot plans for the reopening of rural tourism, nature tourism, nautical tourism, and complementary activities to tourism were made. There was a joint work with the authorities and city guilds through technical workshops focused on implementing biosecurity measures on the beaches, attractions, and tourist establishments. As a result of these processes, it was Figure 21 Tourism reactivation and possible to carry out safe and sustained tourism repotential plan – lines of actions. Source: INDETUR (2020) reopening in the District since September 2020, achieving its recognition as Bioinsurance destination and the arrival of more than 860 thousand people. Visitors enjoyed the main spas and tourist attractions without considerably increasing the reports of positive cases of infection by COVID-19. During the first quarter 2021, the District advanced in the development of strategies to ensure the sustainable use of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the local cultural and historical heritage, to provide locals and visitors with the possibility of enjoying a wide range of tourist