Last Saturday, July 10, a joint venture agreement was signed in Riohacha to go forward with the construction of the Hotel WAYA GUAJIRA in the municipality of Albania. This project is part of Cerrejón’s initiatives and, in this case, of the Cerrejón Foundation for Progress in La Guajira. This new tourism complex will have an investment of over $23,000 million pesos, 8,100 m2 of floor space, 140 rooms, 17 cabins with 102 hammocks for ecotourism, a swimming pool, spa, restaurants, and a convention hall.

“Two years ago, when the President (Álvaro Uribe Vélez) came up with the idea of creating a tourism cluster, we understood that, despite our business being coal, we are in some measure socially responsible contributors in this matter. Therefore, the hotel we wanted to build in the company, for the company’s needs, we turned around for the community. And now we are going to sign a joint venture agreement to place at the disposal of La Guajira a four-star hotel with an investment of 23,000 million pesos. We hope that the hotel will be running and servicing the community and Colombia by the end of next year,” stated Julián González, Vice-President of Sustainability and Public Affairs, during the community meeting at which the news was announced.

This initiative, headed by the Cerrejón Foundation for Progress in La Guajira and by Cerrejón’s Vice-Presidency for Sustainability and Public Affairs, will generate more than 100 jobs in tourism and hotel services in the region. The consumption of energy and water, and solid-waste management will meet the highest international standards since the aim is to achieve international LEED certification as a green hotel.

The tourism project will also include the construction and operation of an interactive museum operated by the Cerrejón Foundation for Progress in La Guajira and by Maloka, with three exhibit halls that will highlight the earth, the sky, and the Guajiran people.

The tourism project will be complemented by the integration of tourism services amongst the Hotel Waya Guajira in Albania, the Cabo de la Vela, and Palomino, which will have recreation centres.

The project will comprise the association of the Cerrejón Foundation for Progress in La Guajira and a business consortium consisting of prestigious companies in construction and hotel operations: Constructora Gómez, Hoteles OXO, Inmobiliaria Contempo, and Ábacos.

The association will seek to begin hotel construction in the second half of 2010 and to remain in operation for over 15 years.

Cerrejón, responsible mining that promotes the pathway of sustainable development.