Should Ecuador Follow Mexico's Methods in Marketing to Tourists?

So what do you think about Mexico-style marketing for Ecuador as endorsed by Dom?

TikiBar at the airport?  Tortoises roaming nearby?  "Dumbed-down" food?  Kiosks selling real estate?

-- cccmedia in Quito

In my opinion, 1 (budget airlines), 2 (buses at airport) and 7 (more maps) are good ideas. The rest (Tiki bars, Disneyworld-ifying everything, property-sale kiosks at airport and "dumbing down food", whatever that means) sound like lousy ideas. Dom sometimes has good points...this time he missed more than he hit.

I agree with Dorothy.

Maybe Ecuador doesn't really want more tourists? It's a thought.

Totally agree with Dorothy. 1 and 2 make perfect sense, 7 is OK but not necessary with Google Maps availability but the rest would transform Ecuador into another Mexico. What's the purpose? I love Ecuador because it's Ecuador. I really hope it stays this way for as long as possible.

Things change, nothing stays the same forever.  Sometimes I wish Ecuador was still the same as it was when  I was there, over 55 years ago now...

It has changed, and for the better in most ways.  That is not really something to lament.  I like that now there is much less poverty.  I don't like that now there is over twice the population as then.  I don't like that my childhood home has vanished and where it was in Quito is now nothing but high-rises!

Ecuador is quite a popular destination for birders as you can encounter hundreds and hundreds of species at the different altitude levels, and travel is not as difficult as it was decades ago.  The birders who come as tourists are as environmentally sensitive as anyone on Earth and have little impact on the environment except they provide employment and dollars for the guides and all the other support services that birding trips need.  It is a budding little industry and eco-tourism in general is growing and that's a good thing, I think.

OsageArcher wrote:

Things change, nothing stays the same forever.  Sometimes I wish Ecuador was still the same as it was when  I was there, over 55 years ago now...

It has changed, and for the better in most ways.  That is not really something to lament.  I like that now there is much less poverty.  I don't like that now there is over twice the population as then.  I don't like that my childhood home has vanished and where it was in Quito is now nothing but high-rises!

Ecuador is quite a popular destination for birders as you can encounter hundreds and hundreds of species at the different altitude levels, and travel is not as difficult as it was decades ago.  The birders who come as tourists are as environmentally sensitive as anyone on Earth and have little impact on the environment except they provide employment and dollars for the guides and all the other support services that birding trips need.  It is a budding little industry and eco-tourism in general is growing and that's a good thing, I think.

On the other hand many are complaining that tourism is ruining the Galapagos islands.  I do agree that the world does not need another Mexico.

Amen to that!!

Mexico and Ecuador ia an applles to oranges comparison. Cancun, and Playa del Carmen are only two small parts of Mexico. Much more to Mexico than those two overpriced places. Cheaper flights, and better organization would definitely be a good thing,  Maybe you could designate a few areas that don't have much population, or infrastructure, and make them tourist oriented, but why ruin the whole of Ecuador with cheap bars, and real estate agents on every corner. Hell, if we really want to make it tourist friendly. Why not put a fast food restaurant on every corner. A department store selling cheap Chinese crap every few miles, and let's make English the official language while we're at it. Anything to make a tourist feel at home.