Milagros de la Caridad Cong Hermida RECTOR, UNIVERSIDAD DE ESPECIALIDADES TURÍSTICAS (UDET)

What role does quality education play in the advancement of Ecuador’s promising tourism sector?

Ecuador has an enormous potential to attract tourists seeking both a cultural and a natural destination; however, most of the country’s tourism resources have yet to be transformed into products, which is where properly trained professionals come into play. In higher education, there is a number of university courses related to tourism that were created for a wide range of industry services, mainly hospitality and restaurants. The education market of this sector has been growing for a long time; however, we need to join forces. In addition, research is essential in tourism education. For a country to be sustainable in the tourism sector, academic work is needed so that the richness of tourism is developed professionally.

How is entrepreneurship being promoted to encourage students to start their own businesses in tourism?

Entrepreneurship is part of the training of all students undertaking courses at UDET. We have a specific course that aims to give them the tools to create a business. They must come up with everything needed to create a package, ranging from restaurants to adventure activities. The university also has extracurricular activities such as events related to entrepreneurs, like bringing in speakers with successful companies. Many of our graduates are successful entrepreneurs and have hotels, restaurants, or travel agencies. Ecuador is improving its legal framework so that entrepreneurs can start their businesses more easily or have better access to micro-financing.