NATURAL wonders
The Pichincha Chamber of Tourism acts as the middleman between the authorities and the industry, while also developing activities to promote tourism, providing investment advice, legal support, and much more for its members.
What does the Pichincha region mean for Ecuador’s tourism industry?
Pichincha and its capital Quito are Ecuador’s main entry point, and the one that connects our wonderful country to our neighbors; we are a small country where everything is close at hand. Also, Quito acts as the gateway and distributor of many tourists to Galápagos and the Amazon, as well as to different regions of the country. In just a few hours, you can be in the Amazon, or a city like Cuenca, or Guayaquil, and also reach the Galápagos Islands. In Ecuador, everything is close to Quito, and the city has always been a sort of entry point to this beautiful country, not only for tourists but also for businessmen and world travelers. Our role as the Chamber of Tourism is to help our associates. In the past, they had to be associated with us to be in our tourism registry, but now, only those who wish to participate in the chamber do so and continue being protagonists in the tourist activity of our country. Thus, the chamber acts as a sort of nexus between the authorities and the industry, helping the former remain informed on the realities of the tourism industry. The Chamber of Tourism also trains and develops activities to promote the different sectors of tourism for the associated members, such as international and national fairs and promotional events, investment advice, legal support, employment service, and the constant work with various authorities to improve tourism.
To what extent has domestic tourism gained importance in Ecuador and how is it expected to develop?
Ecuador has learned that domestic tourism is highly valuable, and we have learned to appreciate and keep it working. For example, about 1.2 million Ecuadorians preferred to travel elsewhere and spend their money a few years ago. In 2019, about USD1.5 billion were spent abroad. Today, we have realized that domestic tourism can greatly help the industry’s survival, and we are learning to maintain it. There is a certain profile of tourist keen to travel to the mountain, breathe fresh air, and learn to value our nation’s nature. This has also helped expand our gastronomy, and beyond every street product, restaurant, or vista there’s a story to discover and share. This has caused an amazing reunion among our people, and makes for a valuable plus for our country.
How do you see Ecuador’s tourism industry evolving as the country works to become more open in fields such as aviation or investment?
The Pichincha Chamber of Tourism president and administration have registered significant achievements. The vaccination process was widespread and positive for everyone, shining a welcome light on Ecuador, both for our health culture and reputation for safety measures.
The incumbent government has also lifted a tax, the ISD or Tax on funds sent abroad, which is a tax on repatriation of money for airlines. This has huge significance and has been a huge help for tourism. These two points are fundamental in terms of support. Minister Olsen has secured about USD50 million for promotion over the next four years, or about USD15 million per year. This means that many strategic marketing plans, including, invitations to events, fairs, and conventions, are taking form. Of course, this will be significant for Ecuador. It is worth to mention the positive future of tourism for Ecuador after the pandemic with better strategies to achieve it. Ecuador is on its way to a better future. The recent holidays of Easter 2022 are proof the dynamism of tourism in Ecuador. Official figures indicate that there were more than one and a half million tourist movements in the country with a dynamization of around 30 million approximately. Quito performed well in terms of activity at hotels, restaurants and tourist operations. However, there is still a long way to go to reach pre-pandemic levels, for which public-private collaboration is needed in order to move forward and improve results.