Ecuador's new Minister of Tourism outlines his strategic lines and receives support from TSTT

20-09-24

• The Tourism and Society Think Tank, through its president, Antonio Santos del Valle, congratulated him on his recent appointment. 

Ecuador's Minister of Tourism, Mateo Estrella, has outlined his strategic vision for the transformation of tourism in the country. Minister Estrella detailed the priorities of his mandate, focused on sustainable development, social inclusion and diversification of Ecuador's tourism offer, emphasizing the importance of creating an inclusive and sustainable tourism model that not only attracts international tourists, but also generates direct benefits for local communities. Among the most outstanding initiatives, the Minister mentioned the promotion of community-based tourism, which seeks to value the culture and traditions of Ecuador's diverse regions, while protecting the environment and generating employment.

“Ecuador has extraordinary potential. Our biodiversity and cultural wealth are unique assets in the world, and it is essential that we design strategies that allow us to take advantage of them in a sustainable manner. The transformation of the tourism sector will be a key tool to generate employment and promote local development,” commented Estrella during the interview.

Estrella also referred to the challenges the country faces in terms of tourism infrastructure, highlighting that the government is already working on significant improvements that will allow it to offer a more competitive and higher quality experience for visitors. “We are driving a series of reforms that seek not only to increase the number of tourists, but also to ensure that their stay in Ecuador is memorable. The fiscal policies we have implemented are also designed to attract investment in the sector, thus generating sustainable economic growth,” said the Minister.

In this context of tourism expansion, the Minister stressed the need to strengthen the country brand so that Ecuador is recognized internationally not only for its iconic destinations such as the Galapagos Islands, but also for other lesser-known but equally attractive regions. Estrella emphasized the importance of diversifying the tourism offer, developing new ecotourism routes and promoting emerging destinations that offer authentic and high quality experiences.

The Minister also mentioned the advances in the digitalization of the Ecuadorian tourism sector, a key aspect to improve the country's competitiveness on the global stage. “Technological innovation is fundamental to modernize our services and offer a tourism experience up to international standards. Digitalization will enable more efficient management of the sector and improve the traveler's experience at every stage of their visit to Ecuador,” explained Estrella.

In the recent communication from the Tourism and Society Think Tank, through the president Antonio Santos del Valle, in addition to congratulating on the appointment, the relevance of Ecuador on the global tourism map was highlighted and offered the collaboration of the organization to contribute to the strengthening of the country's tourism industry.

“The Tourism and Society Think Tank is committed to developing sustainable strategies and promoting policies that drive tourism growth at all levels. Ecuador, with its extraordinary natural and cultural wealth, has a unique opportunity to consolidate itself as a leading destination worldwide. From our organization, we offer our collaboration to support the Ministry of Tourism in all initiatives that promote the development of the sector”.

Looking to the future, Minister Estrella reiterated his call for cooperation between the public and private sectors, which is essential to face the challenges ahead and consolidate Ecuador as a world-class tourist destination.