Security the top priority for businesses

Before I arrived in Bogota of Colombia, all I had heard about the country - which is a 35-hour journey from China - was its coffee beans and narcotics.

A new friend from the United Kingdom I met on the flight told me that, despite the high levels of crime, most visits to Colombia are trouble-free.

However, the security situation changes very quickly in many areas of the country, she said, suggesting I should pay close attention to warnings issued by the Colombian authorities.