Welcome to a new edition of Flying Over Latin America and the Caribbean. Today we take flight with Niels Olsen, Ecuador’s dynamic Minister of Tourism, who shares with us the vision that will further enhance the development of two essential industries for the socioeconomic wellbeing of Ecuador: aviation and tourism.
Ecuador rises as a promising destination. This diverse nation is taking key steps to reach new heights, allowing more people from more places to experience its natural and cultural beauties. With the clear vision of a government that understands the vital importance of putting aviation on the state agenda, the articulated and collaborative work is moving the country toward a brighter and more accessible future for everyone.
From reducing fees and taxes resulting in better options for users, to signing international agreements that will enable the arrival of more operators, to the creation of a permanent fund to strategically promote the country, Ecuador’s tourism panorama is transforming for the better.
Let’s explore together how these measures will not only strengthen the sector, but also promote employment and prosperity throughout the country. From the beauty of its landscapes to its hospitable people and explosion of flavors, Ecuador awaits you with open arms.
Why has tourism been consolidated as a priority for two periods of government in Ecuador?
Tourism is an efficient alternative in creating employment that improves the quality of life of many Ecuadorian families and contributes in creating job opportunities, in addition to dynamizing the economy, providing resources in an immediate way. Tourism in Ecuador creates over 600,000 direct jobs.
What will change in the country with the approval of the Law for the Strengthening of Tourism Activities and Employment Promotion?
The “Ley Orgánica para el Fortalecimiento de las Actividades Turísticas y Fomento del Empleo” opens a great opportunity to support the development of the country, strengthening the tourism sector and its productivity, consolidating it as the third source of non-oil income of the country, enabling to boost the competitiveness and promotion of the industry, as well as providing financial relief for the development of the tourism sector.
As for air transport, it is aimed at promoting the air competitiveness in the country by gradually reducing the 5% surcharge on air fuel to 0%, which will improve the operating conditions for airlines operating in the country and, in the future, make it possible to have lower prices when traveling in the country. Likewise, the 5% tax on foreign exchange outflows for airlines was definitively reduced.
What is coming to continue connecting the country domestically and globally?
Once we have provided the competitive conditions for new operators to enter our skies, we are going to work on promoting the conditions established in our open skies policy, aimed at subscribing and modifying new open skies agreements that will enable increasing the air operations.
As for connectivity, we aim to tie our country directly with more countries of the European Union such as Germany and recover frequencies in the continent and the region such as Sao Paulo, Toronto and increase frequencies to Buenos Aires. We are very happy because this last aspect was already achieved last week by modifying our bilateral agreement with unlimited frequencies between Ecuador and Argentina.
If you had to describe tourism in Ecuador with just one word, what would it be?
EPIC.
How would you define the work carried out by ALTA throughout these years?
Efficient, constant, innovative and resilient work, always making the aviation industry visible in the region and the world.
ALTA’s contribution in the region has made it possible to identify great opportunities to improve the competitiveness of the air transport sector, in addition to supporting the distribution of the different advances within this sector.