Presidential decisions to boost tourism yield results in Ecuador

The Easter holiday in 2025 totaled $54 million in tourism spending, representing a 42% increase compared to 2024. This brings the first three holidays of 2025 to a total of $237 million. Factors such as the reduction in VAT on tourism services from 15% to 8% and the addition of an additional non-working day to the holiday mandated by President Daniel Noboa Azín contributed to these positive results for the sector.

Nationwide travel also increased by 10% compared to the previous year, with 723,000 tourist trips, activating the country's various regions.

Regarding the national average occupancy rate, it reached 37%, while in the breakdown by province, the Galapagos reached 61% occupancy, followed by Azuay with 57%, Santa Elena with 56%, Chimborazo with 50%, Pastaza with 42%, and Carchi with 41%, to name a few destinations.

Tourism Minister Mateo Estrella stated that it was an important holiday during which people traveled and discovered the wonders of the country, exploring non-traditional destinations such as Palanda, a town recognized as the origin of the domestication of cacao in Ecuador, which recently reached 65% occupancy.

The National Government is promoting tourism to encourage citizens to travel and support the revitalization of the country's economy and the more than half a million families who make their living from tourism in Ecuador.

Source: Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador.