During her visit to Washington, as part of the caravan that travels through several cities in the United States to promote the attractions of Quito, the general manager of Quito Turismo, María Cristina Rivadeneira, was received this Wednesday, February 8, 2023 by the ambassador of Ecuador. in the US, Ivonne Baki.
During the meeting, the officials discussed the high impact that tourism has on the development of the city and the country, as well as the importance of the arrival of Americans in Quito which, according to 2022 figures, meant the arrival of more than 300 thousand people during that year.
At the meeting, marked by the willingness to work together, important issues were discussed to promote Quito as a tourism destination, including prioritizing air connectivity to attract more visits; promote Quito gastronomy; and promote ecotourism, taking advantage of the natural benefits and attributes of the Metropolitan District.
“Definitely the American market always has a priority in the promotion and dissemination of Quito; work that we have been doing with the private company and that now joins the efforts of the Embassy of Ecuador in the US, to seek more promotion, longer permanence in our destination and that economic development and reactivation reach the tourism sector of the capital”, pointed out Cristina Rivadeneira.
For her part, Ambassador Ivonne Baki assured that for the American tourist it is attractive to come to Ecuador and Quito due to several factors, among them, the relative proximity that exists, the attractive climate throughout the year and dollarization. “I love hearing that they are working together to promote our beloved Ecuador, but especially Quito. It is an excellent initiative to unite the theme of tourism with everything else, with everything it has to offer in gastronomy, ecotourism, the beauty that religious tourism offers and connectivity, which must be strengthened more than ever so that people know these charms," said the diplomatic official.
Another of the topics discussed was the support that the Embassy of Ecuador in the US will provide for Quito to participate in various events in the tourism field, planned for 2023, including: 'Routes World', an air connectivity event that will be held in Chicago in the month of March; 'World Travel Expo', a meeting to promote adventure tourism that will take place in Miami in June; and 'USTOA', a fair in which broadcasting operators from the United States participate and which will take place in November in the city of Los Angeles, California.
During the meeting, the general manager of Quito Turismo, María Cristina Rivadeneira, presented the ambassador Ivonne Baki with a set of scarves from the Sacha Warmikuna brand, a garment made by indigenous women who live in the outskirts of Quito.
The meeting concluded with the commitment to maintain permanent coordination between Quito Turismo and the Embassy of Ecuador in the US to promote actions that allow the promotion of the Capital of the Center of the World.