I would first like to congratulate Metropolitan
Touring on its 50th anniversary. Could you
give our readers an overview of the last
50 years of the company?
Metropolitan started as a pioneer, as a
leader in tourism. This company started
as a travel agency, then it was the first
tour operator in the Galapagos Islands,
offering charters and becoming the first
to organise tours to the islands. We manage
20% of total tourism to the Galapagos islands,
leading the way with a 70% market share
of high-end tourism to the islands. We are
the main service providers for land service
tourism on the continent as well.
It has been an interesting challenge because
we have also managed our operations with
environmental conservation policies. These
days Galapagos is a jewel and represents
one of the most extraordinary destinations
in the world. It is not only considered
as a renown natural heritage site, but it
is the second marine reserve in the world,
it is a sanctuary for whales, it has received
prizes as one of the best scuba diving destinations
in the world and it has also received the
prize of best-kept natural park two years
in a row.
Yet Galapagos is a place which a limited
number of tourists can visit. The acceptable
limit of tourists runs up to a level of
121 Million people per year, and this year
have reached a level of 90 Million tourists
per year. Every year tourism rises about
10 Million tourists, so very soon we expect
to reach the maximum level of tourists allowed,
which will limit the amount of tours while
maintaining the environmental ecosystem
of the island.
In Galapagos we have established a visa
regime in order to prevent the growth of
human population on the island. It was a
big sacrifice, but it was necessary to preserve
the unique natural heritage that we hope
to preserve. We have also established a
community-based system of civil representation
whereby each citizen of the island has a
voice to directly influence what happens
in the island.
Therefore, it is an honour for us to be
the main operator for such an exclusive
destination. Yet we must not forget that
Ecuador also has a very rich and varied
combination of elements that includes 7
ethnic groups with their proper language
that are fighting to survive and maintain
their culture.
I believe that Ecuador is the best kept
secret in the world in terms of the conditions
that it offers for tourists. Without a doubt,
the natural beauty of Ecuador is also rich
in biological and colourful scenery. We
are in the process of launching a project
in the Amazonian tropical forest, in a territory
of 1.2 Million hectares, which harvests
over 230 different species of birds. You
might have also noticed that a trip of 30
kilometres outside of Quito takes you into
a completely different environment, which
reflects the perpetual variety of our fauna
that never ceases to amaze and captivate
travellers.
Ecuador's future is linked to tourism.
In fact, tourism has the potential of becoming
one of our major economic activities. We
have a great deal to offer, and in comparison
with other countries like Costa Rica or
Cuba, we have a unique variety that can
be found nowhere else.
For example, food in Ecuador is rich in
terms of the cultural fusion that exists
in our traditional cooking. It is the meeting
point of two cultures: the culture of the
north and the south. To the north of Ecuador
you will savour recipes that are based on
corn - the arepas in Colombia, or the tortillas
in Mexico. Meanwhile, to the south, Peruvian
and Bolivian cooking is potato-based. Yet
here in Ecuador you will find a melting
pot of both cultures: a mélange of
potato and corn, bringing together a fusion
of cultures that is as colourful as Mexican
dishes and as rich as Peruvian cooking.
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In this sense,
Ecuador appeals to the senses with its variety
of taste, music and nature
this is what
makes Ecuador special.
What are the destination opportunities
that Metropolitan Touring is looking to
develop, outside of Galapagos, in the Amazon
or on the coast?
We are building a combination of packages
based upon the diversity of the Ecuador.
Our focus is certainly not mass tourism
like in the Caribbean, for example, since
Ecuador is too small. We must develop a
tourism that is based on quality, not quantity.
Ecuador is a complete experience - it is
an expedition. The first thing you will
notice when you arrive is the intensity
of the light and the vividness of the colours.
In Ecuador white is really white, and yellow
is bright yellow. This affects tastes as
well, and your taste buds will notice the
difference when you savour our local fruits.
Cultural tourism also brings together a
historical mix of Spanish and Indigenous
cultures, all together under one roof. In
Quito you will find a renovated historical
capital, and second largest colonial centre
of Latin America.
Our goal is to combine cultural, educational,
environmental and adventure tourism. The
first target market includes the large number
of senior tourists that have more time to
get to know the country and are willing
to have an experience that is safe, varied
and pleasurable. For example, senior tourists
will be able to view the amazing variety
of birds in complete safety, while staying
in one of our resorts.
On the other hand, there is also a great
potential for young people to come to Ecuador
for adventure tourism: we offer a profound
experience that can include hiking in the
Amazonian rain forest, swimming with whales
in the Galapagos islands or climbing the
Cotopaxi volcano.
What do you think of the international
image of Ecuador, how can we improve it,
and what are you doing in order to attract
tourists to the country?
The international image of Ecuador, in
part due to the instable political situation
of the past, is very bad. Moreover, we have
not promoted the value and uniqueness of
our culture to the international community.
One must ask: why is this country so badly
governed? The answer lies in the fact that
we are an extremely democratic country,
with about 17 political parties but with
no consensus. It is like having too many
cooks in the kitchen - everyone wants to
use their own recipe, so the menu is all
mixed up! In a system like ours, where we
have too many parties, there is no strong
power base in any one party, so each politician
must fend for himself and he must get support
from different interest groups, which leads
to a spiral of political favours and corruption...
Nonetheless, Ecuador is a stable country,
and although it is true that the country
is very poor, reforms are ongoing and today
the indigenous community is actually taking
part in the government. To give them an
opportunity to lead the country is unique
and we hope that they will do a good job
to lead the country. In Spain, the country
has brought together a variety of communities
under one roof, and in Ecuador we are trying
to do the same thing. We have many different
cultures and languages, yet we must live
together and use this as a positive contribution
to society.
Diversity is part of our heritage. What
we must do now is rescue all these concepts
and ideas that make Ecuador different, then
we need to communicate them. The first step
is to show that we exist, and the next step
is to promote Ecuador as a unique and exciting
destination. With this in view, Metropolitan
Touring hopes to play a leading role in
the development of sustainable tourism to
Ecuador.
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