Ecuador to Earmark $9 Million for Tourism Promotion

Ecuadorian Tourism Minister Gladys Eljuri explained in Berlin her administration is currently zeroing in on sustainable development as a way of soothing increasing poverty levels in the country.

For the first time ever, the Ecuadorian Tourism Ministry will set going an all-embracing promotional campaign with an initial fund of $9 million.

Minister Eljuri is thrilled about the prospects of her country´s travel industry for the coming years. In 2004, the South American nation came up with 815,000 foreign visitors, up 4.3 percent from the previous year, and over $600 million worth of profits.

Mrs. Eljuri explained only a couple of airlines used to fly from Europe to Ecuador back in 2003. Two years later, LAN Chile, Air España and other carriers have joined in.

As to the current tourist situation on the Galapagos Islands, she voiced deep concerns because her Ministry has no jurisdiction on that territory and warned about overcrowding problems caused by increasingly larger numbers of tourists visiting an area that´s designed to assimilate only 80,000 visitors.

Mrs. Eljuri urged travel agencies and tour operators to put a cap on the amount of vacationers willing to visit the Galapagos, to take good care of the environment and do everything within their power to prevent unfettered use of tourist resources.