Travel and Tourism in Ecuador

Abstract

<p>Travel, for leisure or business purposes, can contribute to a country's development process in three ways. It creates a demand for goods and services. National travellers generally consume goods and services produced domestically. International travellers generate foreign exchange. Ecuador has many more national travellers than international travellers. Given its oil exports, Ecuador also faces less of a foreign exchange constraint than many developing countries. Hence, Ecuadorean planners can, and should, pay more attention to the role of national travel and tourism in the development process of their country.</p> <p>A review of the literature on travel in developing countries reveals that the emphasis is frequently on international travel. In this study, national and international travel are analysed and compared with regard to their role in the development process. This study examines specific spatial, seasonal, and sectoral features of travel and tourism in eight surveyed centers in Ecuador. Five hypotheses about these features of travel and tourism were tested with data collected by means of questionnaires and interviews.</p> <p>The analysis suggests that the spatial, seasonal, and sectoral effects of national travel and tourism can assist the development process in Ecuador better than those of international travel and tourism. Therefore, development planning in Ecuador, unlike that in many other developing countries, need not stress the role of international travel. The study concludes with suggestions for some broad policy guidelines, for consideration by Ecuadorean planners, emphasizing national travel in the development process.</p>