Is it still safe to travel to Ecuador?: “We understand the situation may be concerning”

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Ecuador declared a state of emergency on January 8 due to widespread violence in prisons and the escape of a drug lord. This will initially be valid for 60 days and includes the deployment of troops to the streets as well as a nationwide curfew from 11pm to 5am. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa speaks of a “state of war.”

What does this mean for tourists in the country? In its letter, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism stated that airports and ports are operating normally, but security measures have been increased. Road and public transport also operate normally outside closing hours. Tourist transfers to and from airports are also possible when closed.

Experts offer help

Zurich Latin America specialist Brasa Reisen is currently in contact with all customers in Ecuador, according to CEO Reto Kindlimann (53). Brasa wants to proactively inform its customers who are about to leave about the latest developments.

“We recognize that this situation may be concerning,” says Kindlimann. There have been no problems with tourists so far, but reservation changes have occurred from time to time. “In the event of a possible cancellation, good faith will be examined on a case-by-case basis,” says Kindlimann. In principle, in such cases, Brasa only collects the actual costs and not the fees according to the terms and conditions.

Kuoni specialist Dorado Latin Tours is also in contact with customers and has not yet received any feedback regarding any issues when contacted by Blick. Most customers are in the highlands or the Galapagos Islands and there are no problems there. “There is unrest in the major towns on the coast, where there are almost no tourists,” a spokesman said. So far there have been no changes to travel cancellation regulations.

EDA advises against travel

The travel recommendations of the Federal Foreign Office (EDA) are decisive for this. This set the travel advisory for Ecuador on January 10. He now says: “Great attention should be paid to personal safety. “The crime rate is very high.”

FDFA recommends that you obtain information about the current situation from the media and through tour operators before and during your trip, and avoid large gatherings of people and demonstrations. However, traveling is not given up.

Tour operators state that tourism operations on the mainland and the Galapagos Islands continue smoothly. “If unforeseen conditions arise in cities, we will adapt activities accordingly,” promises Kindlimann.

Yet recent developments are toxic to Ecuador’s tourism recovery. In 2019, Ecuador recorded more than 2 million international visitors, and in 2023, after the Corona crash, only 1.4 million arrived again. According to the data of the Ecuadorian statistical office, 9 thousand 149 of them are Swiss. This puts our country in 18th place among Ecuador’s most important tourist source markets.

Source :Blick