All the focuses of the largest international tourism fair, Fitur, point in one direction: Ecuador, the protagonist of this edition.
However, fear also lurks in the large booth where postcards, sounds and flavors of the Andean country coexist.
The image of young criminals taking over a television channel while it was broadcast live went around the world a few weeks ago.
Although exhibitors defend that this sequence does not at all represent the current state of things, selling the Ecuador brand is a challenge that tour operators have to overcome during the five days of the fair.
“We have many visitors traveling through Ecuador right now,” defends Dante García, who opened a travel agency 12 years ago in the banana country.
“In addition, the conflict is concentrated in very specific points.”
1.14 million visitors arrived on Ecuadorian soil in 2023, half of those who disembarked before confinement.
The data is not in line with the good pace of global tourism in 2023, when 88% of pre-pandemic activity was reached.
It is estimated that one in every 11 people in the world works in this activity, a figure on the rise.
In Ecuador, nearly 600,000 families are employed in this branch of the economy.
Dante García, founder of Latin Adventures, at Fitur 2024.Juan José Martínez
“Unfortunately, the viralization of videos with violent material has generated a very negative image of the country when that is not really the case,” explains Carla Cárdenas, assistant manager of the Le Parc Hotel in Quito.
“A moment ago some Spanish tourists asked me if I can leave my house... Of course I can!
“I work in person at the hotel and go for a walk every day.”
Alisson Atkinson, a British businesswoman who operates an agency in London, will maintain the agreement with an Ecuadorian tourism company with which she has been working for more than 15 years.
She is not too worried about the problem in Ecuador because, “unfortunately,” they are common circumstances in Latin America.
“Peru faced serious problems on the streets last year and now tourism has picked up again at the same pace.”
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Ecuador regains control of the country's prisons
It is five in the afternoon and the atmosphere is invaded by a wave of folk music that guides the steps of a group of dancers.
Carlos Ramírez, a member of the group, believes that it is a great boost that the president, Daniel Noboa, came for the opening of the fair.
“It's a sign that this time we are serious.”
Fitur has also been a pretext to launch the new design of the
Ecuador brand
, promoted by the Ministry of Tourism, which will operate for the next few years: “Ecuador, shine authentically.”
The decision is supported by the majority of operators, although there are signs of misgivings: they hope that it will not be modified in the future, as has happened before, and all the work done will be lost.
Tour operators at the Ecuador stand at Fitur 2024. Santi Burgos
In 2001, the image of the country was sold under the slogan “Ecuador in its purest form.”
Then, after the arrival of Rafael Correa's government, it became “Ecuador loves life” and shortly after “All you need is Ecuador.”
Each change in logo and slogan represented a different
marketing
strategy to advertise the tourist offer.
Cárdenas is blunt about this: “Unfortunately, until now there has been no continuity in the concept that Ecuador wants to offer to the world.
We changed ministers and everything started again.”
He considers it necessary to have a work route that lasts over time, as Colombia, Peru, and Mexico have done, with good results.
The latter country is positioned as a favorite destination in Latin America, attracting more than 38 million tourists in 2023. “The management of tourism in Ecuador should be declared a public policy so that it is unalterable.”
“Although we cannot aspire to be a destination that receives mass tourism,” says Diego Escobar, commercial director of Condor Travel, an agency with 30 years of experience in the sector.
“We are simply not prepared.
We are not Punta Cana or Cancún, where there are mega hotels with 3,000 rooms.
We must seek to promote ecotourism and sustainability,” says Escobar.
Stand of Ecuador, partner country of Fitur 2024.LEV
Challenges beyond security
Cleaning up the image of insecurity is not the only challenge for exhibitors.
“The ministry cannot only think about promoting the country high, but also about planning the arrival of these travelers,” criticizes a public worker who prefers not to share her name.
“There is a need to train local guides, digitalize services and improve road transportation.
Furthermore, it is urgent to invest to improve infrastructure.
It is true that we have the waterfalls and the lakes, but not enough restaurants, medical centers, and roads to guarantee a good experience.”
The latest data published by the Government have been a breath of air for the sector, which in the second week of January lost 50% of reserves, according to Cárdenas.
Within the framework of a plan called
Fénix
, the president deployed soldiers through the streets and reinforced control of prisons to stop the violence.
So far it seems to have worked, the homicide rate dropped from 40 to six per day.
“We returned to 60% reservations in recent weeks and hotel investment is strong again,” the businesswoman clarifies.
When the music stops, a sea of applause is heard in the booth.
Milka Armijos, a student of Guayaquil parents who has arrived at Fitur, shares that “the joy of the place is the living image of Ecuador in its best times.”
Quitus dance group in a presentation at the Ecuador stand at Fitur 2024.Juan José Martínez
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